Longinus And His Brother
by natedog731
Summary: A brother that has lost everything is thrown into the fray when he discovers his father's old project. The intervention of Overwatch is just the beginning as Soldier 76's identity is discovered and turmoil within the group escalates. Mercy76. Graphic and violent.
1. Chapter 1

Longinus

"Woooow!" exclaimed a ten year old boy, gazing upwards with a pair of dark hazel eyes. His lips remained in an exasperated 0-shape as he inspected the marble statue that towered in front of him.

Executives and scientists alike watched in amusement from afar as they either lounged or commuted through the expansive atrium of Romus Labs. The polished granite underneath their dress shoes and footwear reflected the perfectly blue sky that loomed above the glass ceiling overhead, barely pocked by a handful of clouds that had managed to form.

"Is that really dad?" the boy asked, keeping a gleaming eye on the stone bust of a middle aged man wearing a pair of glasses and a lab coat. He held a proud expression as he looked onwards, overtop the curly brown hair of his son.

"In the flesh and stone. Even got his height right." Came another voice, this one from a 17 year old boy that held more features in common with the chiseled statue than his younger brother. His hair was cut short on the sides and left only a short outcrop on the top, a style that prompted his mother to remind him how much he looked like Jack Morrison.

As if he could ever match up to a man of that caliber, he just wanted to graduate and continue playing sports, not lead a band of supposed heroes to their fates.

"Are we gonna go on a tour? I wanna see where dad worked!" the younger brother exclaimed, grabbing onto the fabric of his blue Overwatch shirt.

"Maybe tomorrow, Max. Suns starting to go down and I think mom should be getting her any minute to pick us up." Refuted the teenager, digging his hands inside of his khakis pockets and squiggling his black trainers on the floor. He too wore a blue t-shirt, but it carried the insignia of his rugby team rather than of an organization.

He ruffled his younger brother's mess of curly hair and turned to the sliding doors at the other end of the lobby, watching as a white hover-car floated into the pickup bend. The passenger window slid down, revealing the face of a brunette woman dressed in grey business attire, smiling at him with glossy-red lips and dark-brown eyes.

"Mom!" piped Max, grabbing onto his brothers arm and pulling him towards the entrance. "C'mon James! Let's go see mom!"

"Easy Max, don't run with all these people aro-"

A thunderous explosion broke into the teenager's ears as he looked up and saw his car flipping through the air, enveloped in an orange flame. He couldn't even mutter his mother's name as more explosions shattered the glass walls and ceiling around him.

What had once been pure excitement on his brother's face was now horror and confusion, incapable of comprehending what had become of his remaining parent. Lab coats and black suits ran in all manner of directions, men women and omnics trying to flee wherever they could, all the while he and his brother stood frozen before the statue.

Gunfire erupted from the entrance, barely grazing James's cheek as he ducked. More rounds pelted the marble of his father's memorial, taking off chunks of stone and spewing clouds of dust and rubble into the air. A final crack resounded through the atrium before both brothers looked up to see their father falling, watching as he landed on the floor and broke into thousands of shards.

"MAX, MOVE!" James yelled, grabbing the boy by his shoulder and running towards one of the open sliding-doors. More cracks and zips filled the air as the lab security filtered out, firing their guns towards whoever was shooting.

James pulled his brother through the door and began running through the halls, passing through cubicles and offices before he approached a reinforced door. It was continuously opening and closing, jammed on a steel cart full of spilled chemicals.

The brother ushered Max to slip through as it opened, taking one last look back to the end of the hall. A squad of soldiers, clad in black and glowing red goggles piled through the offices. One of them spotted him immediately and opened fire, sending bullets to ricochet off the door and shower the teen in hot sparks of metal.

He grabbed a corner of the cart and ambled over before kicking it out of the way, letting the door close with a reinforced click.

"Max! Max, are you okay?" the brother asked, picking himself up off the floor.

The curly haired child said nothing, only letting a stream of tears fall down his cheeks and moisten his shirt a darker shade of blue.

"Max?" repeated James, feeling tears well in his own eyes as he approached his brother. He dropped to a knee and took the boy into a hug, realizing what they had both witnessed was a reality.

"Where's mom?" Max asked, mumbling his words through the fabric that covered his brother's shoulder. James said nothing, only holding the boy closer.

"She's… Uh, she's gone Max. I'm, I'm sorry."

The moisture on his shoulder grew damper as he felt his brother begin to sob, not wanting to face the truth. James was about to fall into the emotion as well, but a pang on the door pushed him to pick up max and begin running further into the lab.

It was almost as big as the atrium, lined with tables containing everything from technology to stacks of reports and research. Some of the things he could identify he had seen in advertisements and concepts in the company videos that played around the city. A lot of it, he hadn't seen.

James jogged further into the lab, taking cover behind a line of command panels and computer terminals. The teen glanced towards the reinforced door, terrified to find an arcing white line tracing its way through the entrance. Whatever the soldiers wanted, it was in the room he had carried his brother into.

"Max! Max I need-" James paused, finding his brother staring through a glass panel into the next room.

"Look! Look at what I found!" Max pointed, prompting the teen to rise up and peek through the window.

Before them stood a tall suit of purple armor, clad in armor plating and mechanical pieces. Its helmet was sleek and reminded the boy of Reinhardt's glowing visage, only without the jagged crown. Above it was a nameplate, their fathers to be exact; Avery Tenbrook.

"That's dad's old project! They kept it?" James asked, confused why the company had hidden the armor to him even after his father had passed.

The hissing of the plasma cutter had stopped, leaving the room quiet save for the breaths of the two brothers. _"Max get down!"_ he whispered, pulling the boy beside him.

The two of them hid in cover, fearfully waiting for what would happen next when a blast erupted from the door, blowing the carved panel through the lab and into the opposite wall. The door was covered in a wall of ghastly smoke, covering the operatives as they infiltrated.

"Move it! Reaper said the banks are on the right side of the room. You two get the download running! The rest of you are with me, anything moves and you kill it." The gruff voice of a black soldier bellowed, fanning out his squad.

James tried to hide deeper into the cover, hoping to whatever lived in the sky that the soldiers would leave with whatever they wanted and that he and his brother could go home, or anywhere that wasn't where they were at that exact moment.

Just when he couldn't find the situation any more unbearable, a familiar tune rang out, breaking the silence of the lab. James felt every gun in the room point towards their cover as he looked down, finding his brother holding his cellphone. It was the intro to their favorite cartoon show, one that they watched every Friday at a certain time of the day, right after they get home from school.

Of all the ways he could have imagined dying, the one where he was killed by his brother's favorite cartoon wasn't one of them.

The tune played for a few more seconds, finally ending with an awkward silence.

"Gar-"

A thunderstorm of gunfire filled the heads of both boys, sounding almost as if they were caught in the middle of a hurricane made of firecrackers.

One explosion rang out above all, this one from the ceiling as James watched a lone figure leap in. His blue rifle cleared the smoke as its rounds found their way into each soldier in the room, save for the two hiding beside the server stack.

The white haired soldier looked menacing, standing tall and built with muscle as he fired his gun at the two downloading the data.

"Soldier 76!" Max exclaimed, as if he were visited by god himself. The man made the mistake of glancing at the two kids as he suppressed the soldiers, unnoticing of the heavy mech lumbering through the blasted door.

"Lookout!" James yelled, pointing at the hulking machine before its pair of heavy cannons tore up the metal floor in front of the man. 76 ran and flew through the air as he was blown off the ground, bouncing off of the glass panel behind the two boys and landing in a heap on the floor. His rifle had been flung into the middle of the room, out of reach for the three.

"Grr… Shit." 76 muttered, picking himself up as James pulled him into cover. More soldiers had come through and began firing on the cover, drowning out whatever fear Max was exhibiting.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" he gruffly asked, trying to peek over the panel. He received a hail of lead in response.

"We were trying to get away from all that!" James responding shielding his head as a stray round bounced off of the floor in front of him.

"Why are they shooting at us!?" Max asked, covering his ears as more gunfire filled the air.

"There's a lot of encrypted data on these terminals, some of it Talon's gonna use to make a new WMD. It can't fall into their hands, no matter what." 76 explained, trying to figure out a path to his rifle.

"How come they haven't blown us up yet?" James asked this time, noting that the mech had switched to using its minigun instead.

"We're too close to another terminal. Can't risk hitting any part of the mainframe or else security'll drop the whole thing. I think." He confessed, pointing at the glowing panel across the exposed walkway to their right.

A bright red loading bar sat on the display, showing how close the Talon mercenaries were to extracting their package. Below it sat a large holographic square with the word "Cancel" on it.

One press and their plan would be thwarted.

This thought resounded a million times through Max's head as he gazed intently on the filling bar. It was now or never.

76 was an old soldier, but even in all his years this was a sight he had never seen before. A young, curly haired boy gripping the Overwatch symbol of his shirt running into the fray of gunfire with the intent to press a button he hadn't noticed until now.

"NO!" He yelled, muffled by his mask as James stood to chase his brother. The soldier watched as a round went through the young boy, sending a spray of crimson onto the wall as he fell. At the very last moment, his hand landed on the holographic display, pressing on the cancel override.

James reached towards his fallen brother, running across the platform before a brilliant white blast engulfed the two.

"MAX!" the teenager screamed in his head, slowly opening his eyes. Everything was a blur to him, put into a state of vertigo so bad he could have sworn he was on the ceiling rather than the cold hard metal grating of the floor.

James made to say the word this time, but a mouthful of blood emptied itself onto the floor instead as his head recoiled at the blast. He had been thrown and everything… everything hurt.

The teenager barely payed attention to the glass window he had been blasted through, instead realizing that the arm in front of him was much too small to be his own.

"MAX!" he finally mumbled, finding it difficult to breathe as he traced the length of the arm and found it disconnected by a bloody splotch. His own hand reached out to grab it, only feeling immense pain in response as the scorched limb flopped on top of his brothers.

James felt his heart begin to pulse faster as his head cleared, noting the blank feeling on the right side of his face. His arm was fried and covered with slices from shrapnel, almost as if he had dunked it into a deep fryer made of razorblades. Pain was the only thing he felt, searing his skin and aching his muscles as he tried to prop himself up on his left arm.

The appendage failed miserably, causing the boy to fall onto his side. He no longer looked at the lost arm, but rather the face familiar to him, no longer covered by a menacing mask.

Sounds began to filter into his mind, slowly losing their distortion before he could make out proper words.

"…id you really have to use the cannon? They were just a couple of kids." Came a sympathetic voice from one of the Talon soldiers. It wasn't very far away, but James could tell it was coming closer.

A series of beeps responded, likely from the mech as it clanked forward and ignored the operative.

The teenager could only see Soldier 76, unconscious before him with a deadly threat on approach. There was nothing he could do. Nothing but lay there, feeling sorry for his losses before some guy with bad intentions put him out of his misery and took whatever they were looking for.

No.

They killed Max. They killed mom.

James felt a spark of anger burn into his gut, driving his body to fall back. He looked at the ceiling only for a second before turning his gaze right, spotting the gleaming suit of armor standing before him.

Dad was a strong man. He wouldn't have asked him to take the easy way out. He would have told him to fight. Do what's right. Serve justice and be hero, if not for him and the people then for his brother.

The teenager felt more anger grip his body as he turned once again and slowly began crawling towards the purple suit, gritting his teeth to bear the pain of living as he made his way.

"They killed her… They killed him..." James seethed as he crawled, dragging his wounded frame across the floor. A smudge of blood trailed from where he landed, up to the armor as he sat upright in front of the towering display.

He had never known the purpose of the project, but when the suit slowly opened like a blooming flower at his touch, ready to accept him, James knew he would find out.

"Son." It softly murmured, almost as if it was his father's voice coming from out of thin air. The teenager dismissed the words as a part of his shock induced delusions and carried on, painfully grappling with the armor as he placed himself within.

It only took one nod of his chin before the suit closed around him, filling the boy with gentle warmth and soothing his pain. James knew he would find out its purpose very soon.

"Where'd the other kid go? I only see 76 and the tyke the mech blew apart." Asked one of the mercenaries, keeping his gun leveled at the door as he and his squad mates approached.

"Dunno, but he aint getting back up. Not after fucking our op, I'll make sure of that." Replied another, likely the leader of the team. The mech behind them gave an uncaring beep as it followed, monitoring the space for any more unmarked heat signatures.

A small blue laser pierced the space of the lab, landing gently on top of the bipedal machine's central plate. The beam itself had no effect, but none of the talon soldiers could warrant a reaction before a magnetically-accelerated tungsten slug traveling at Mach 10 tore through the dense armor of the mech and turned it into a standing hunk of shredded scrap metal.

"The FUCK!" screamed one of the mercenaries, scrambling off of the floor as he had been blown off of his feet by the blast.

All of the glowing red eyes in the room turned towards the origin of the beam, finding a single figure emerging from the doorway. It held a heavy rifle, the barrel split into opposite rails of electricity lined metal and a thick cable leading from the stock into the back of the armor.

James lifted one arm and pointed it at the squad of stunned soldiers, letting them watch as a pair of barrels emerged from underneath plating, lining up with his forearm and aiming straight at the Talon agents.

None of them had the reflexes to dodge the hail of lead that the arm-mounted chain gun delivered next, quickly shredding the black-clad operatives into crimson mounds of mincemeat and lost limbs.

The teenager clipped the railgun to his thigh and stuck out the other arm, letting a similar weapon appear before he opened fire on two scrambling soldiers and painted the chrome walls with their blood.

The tirade went on briefly, James realizing he couldn't kill them any further as he lowered his arms and turned to the left. The teenager, driven by adrenaline and anger only lowered to a knee and flopped Soldier 76's unconscious body over his broad shoulder, making sure he wouldn't slip off before turning to the other subject that he really didn't want to face.

Max lay idle, with a calm smile pursed along his lips as he watched his big brother pick him up and cradle him. The boy was covered in copious amounts of blood, his once blue shirt stained with splotches of red. James knew he couldn't fix what the boy had lost, nor could he save him. A heart monitor popped up in his HUD, showing his brother's weakening pulse.

"M-Max…" James shuddered, feeling tears well down his bloodied cheeks as he watched the boy's pulse fall.

"Shhh…Haha… I'm proud of you brother. Dad's proud of you too." The child rasped, his voice hoarse.

"No! Max NO! NO NO NO!" James began to yell, physically feeling his brother pulse wean through the armor. The teenager didn't have the heart to shake his brother awake.

"Please Max! you're all I've got left bro! Don't leave me Max!" he cried, trying to cradle his brother further and taking his remaining hand within his own.

"Don… Don't worry. You're strong James. Really strong… I wan-"

The boy shuddered as he coughed a heap of blood onto his shirt and gasped for air, returning his hazel eyes to gaze upon the hard mask of armor his brother adorned.

"Be.

Be a hero.

Be a hero for me…"

With that, James felt his younger sibling give one last gentle breath of air and whither within his arms, slowly closing his eyes and peace and loosening his grip on James's finger.

The arm slumped and hung limply off to the side, swinging alongside the draft as the teenager stared at what he had just lost. The ECG on his HUD silently went flat before disappearing, leaving James with a clear image of peace on his brother's face.

"Max… no."

The hulking suit of armor rose from its knee and turned, making its way down the path. He would bury him, somewhere nice. A place he liked to visit often with Max. The boy would like it.

James stepped through the mulch of talon soldiers, feeling bones and flesh crack under his feet as he continued walking forward, pointing his gaze straight onwards.

Behind him, a small fire had begun to flare, catching on quickly as explosions began to wrack the labs and engulf the space. James didn't care. All he cared about was going, and if more Talon soldiers were going to get in his way then so be it. He would deal with them accordingly.

James had already extended his arm when he emerged into the office space, quickly adjusting his aim as he marched on. A red hue filled his overlay, highlighting heat sources within the space as hostile and threatening. The teenager reacted by sending a burst of his chain gun through the cubicles, watching as contacts began to fall.

Some of the black soldiers stood to fire at him while he marched, but James was not impeded. He let the gun go fully automatic, shredding the office apart along with its intruders.

He didn't care whether he got them all. He just wanted to get out.

One of the Talon mercenaries jumped at the suit of armor, brandishing a deadly knife aimed directly at the chest. James grabbed the man by his face, lifting him into the air at arm's reach and slowly closing his fist.

The soldier scrambled, trying to remove himself from the grip while finding the knife futile against the armor. It wasn't the pressure that killed him, rather the concrete wall that the teenager slammed his skull into later, sending a splash of brain matter and blood over the room.

James dropped the corpse and continued into the atrium, finding it engulfed in flame and advancing mercenaries, both of which he disliked.

The teen stretched his arm out and began to sweep the space with a cone of obliterating gunfire, perforating the scores of soldiers as if they were made of Styrofoam and blood. James continued to march through the fire, not feeling any of it touch him as he exited the building and found himself in the cool night.

More Talon dropships had arrived, sending troops rappelling down to meet the boy head on, but the intervention of a thundering Overwatch ship halted any further advance as it landed in the lot.

A beige colored robot hopped out of the exposed hatch, landing onto the asphalt with a clank before transforming into a turret and unleashing a beam of lead towards the firing mercenaries.

There were a lot. James wasn't sure why there were so many, but a warm feeling erupted in his chest followed by a change in his vision to a golden inlay of the world.

Pharah took a few extra huffs of air as she stepped off the platform of the ship and fired her thrusters, launching into the air. She knew it was a target-rich environment, as Soldier 76 had often said but things were a bit worse for wear when the only cover you had was a sky.

Fareeha was immediately caught off guard by the presence of a golden being slowly walking across the courtyard, similar to Zenyatta's transcendence during battle. It was viciously firing at Talon mercenaries and holding a familiar body over its shoulder, making it a non-target for her. The woman paid it no heed and turned to do her own job, letting loose a storm of rockets into the lot.

Genji had emerged when the ship landed, hopping out at the last second to eliminate nearby operatives with his smaller blade, keeping an eye out for Bastion's core.

At this point, Talon mechs had begun to seep out of the burning building, sending a storm of cannon fire into the air and lot as they approached. One shell managed to make a beeline for the teenager, only to ricochet off of his armor and zip off into the sky like a shooting star.

"Those walkers are bad news for the ship! Pharah get them off of us or we're not going to be able to leave this place!" Winston barked through the comms channel, garnering the woman's attention.

She weaved through the sky, barely dodging the suppression as she unloaded her own payload, only managing to eliminate a few of the many.

Even bastion was beginning to take heat, requiring Reinhardt to hop out and provide a shield to ward off the incoming shells. Genji tried to deflect what he could, but it proved fruitless as he scampered back onto the ship.

James had finally reached the vessel and stepped on, prompting the rest of the group to pile in. Bastion reset his turret and continued to suppress the remaining Talon mercenaries, pelting them with lead as Winston fired the craft's thrusters and started to take off. Pharah arrived at the last moment, skidding to a halt on her landing as she entered, barely dodging a shell beforehand as it pinged off the side of the ship.

"We're good! Let's go!" she yelled, prompting Winston to slam the boosters and leave the airspace. The ship rumbled as it barreled through the sky, farther and farther away from the burning lab.

Things had calmed quite a bit, but now it was time to acknowledge the purple, armor clad elephant in the room. James had felt his vision clear and the warmth in his chest wean when he had stepped on the ship, indicating that whatever barrier he had carried was now gone.

"Is that… Oh mein gott… Soldier 76!" came a gentle voice from the back, stealing James's attention. A slim woman, clad in white and gold rushed forward, folding her wings and dropping the long staff she carried. The teen reached up with his free hand and peeled the limp body from his shoulder. 76 had been knocked unconscious, suffering from a few more scars along his body but luckily had survived well unscathed compared to… him and his brother.

The teen did what he could to lay him on one of the hovering medical beds before Mercy intervened, taking the man from his grip and laying him down herself. She barely looked at his face, instead tapping a series of commands on the panel of the bed before letting a green shield of energy fabricate overtop.

"Good, good… he is well. Now what about your other…"

"Oh."

The good doctor turned to rest her teal lenses upon the child that James cradled within his arm, disheartened to find him in such condition. She reached a hand out to touch him, only for it to be gently blocked by the armored backside of the teens other hand. She looked up to the emotionless mask that he wore, finding him staring back at her before he turned his gaze down at his brother and slowly walked to an adjacent medical bed.

The brother took a knee and gently laid his sibling onto the bed, loosening his cradle and letting the passed child rest his head within his palm. Whatever it took, he would find those that hurt him. Those that hurt his family would pay greatly for their actions, he would make very well sure of that. With or without help.

James stared at his brother's soft expression a moment longer before quietly ruffling his damp head of curly hair one last time. The young man looked down at the control panel of the bed and selected the snowflake icon, letting a blue shield of energy slowly form over the body. Frost accumulated under barrier until he couldn't see his brother anymore. At that point James dipped his head and gave a deep and long sigh, finding himself gravely tired and worn out.

Fareeha Amari had been watching the scene unfold itself as she leaned on the wall of the ship, watching as the towering suit of powered armor froze a child within one of the medical beds.

"I am sorry. Were you close to him?" Angela asked, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder plate. They all waited for a brief moment, watching as the armor turned its head to the woman.

"He was… my brother." James calmly stated, his voice modified by the suit's voice system to be much more robotic it texture.

The doctor let a small gasp escape her mouth, covering it with a palm as she watched the being rise to height.

James barely turned around before he met Pharah and Reinhardt's scrutinizing gaze. Bastion simply gave a series of beeps that meant nothing to the young man all the while Genji sat watching, interested by the man in the armor.

"What is your name? I must ask that of such a valiant hero." The hammer welding tank asked, raising his palms in the air as a gesture of good will.

The suit took another step forward.

"I am-"

James paused, unable to finish his sentence as a fit of coughing overcame him. The group of Overwatch members watched in horror as thick blood began to sputter and seep out of the mask, painting the deck of the ship with ugly splotches of crimson. Angela rushed forward, readying her staff and trying to support the suit with a hand on its chest.

Pain began to seep back into the teenager's mind as he felt the suit stand up to height and begin blooming, slowly unfolding its plates of purple alloy to let the injured boy inside fall onto his knees before crumpling in a heap on the ground. A pair of gasps came from both Angela and Fareeha as they watched, realizing that their new ally was not a man, but just a boy.

Once again, the doctor dropped her staff and rushed to James's side. She could easily tell that her tools would be of no use to such prolonged wounds. He would need immediate care.

"Winston! We have critical injured! Please, get us to Grand Mesa as fast as possible!" Angela ordered, trying to pick up the teen. He was bleeding profusely, covered in burns, cuts and internal hemorrhaging.

"It is a miracle he is still alive. Fareeha, please get me a medical table! Reinhardt, help me put him on!"

The towering Knight abandoned his hammer and gently picked the crumpled boy up, guided by Angela at every moment. He laid the teenager down on the floating bed before coming away with bloodied gauntlets, the same as Angela.

Genji approached, carrying a red medical chest. Angela barely thanked him for it before digging in and grabbing a multitude of tools she would need. Her day had become much more stressful than intended, and there would be many questions to answer.


	2. Chapter 2

"MAX!" the teenager screamed in his head, slowly opening his eyes. Everything was a blur to him, put into a state of vertigo so bad he could have sworn he was on the ceiling rather than the cold hard metal grating of the floor.

James made to say the word this time, but a mouthful of blood emptied itself onto the floor instead as his head recoiled at the blast. He had been thrown and everything… everything hurt.

The teenager barely payed attention to the glass window he had been blasted through, instead realizing that the arm in front of him was much too small to be his own.

"MAX!" he finally mumbled, finding it difficult to breathe as he traced the length of the arm and found it disconnected by a bloody splotch. His own hand reached out to grab it, only feeling immense pain in response as the scorched limb flopped on top of his brothers.

James felt his heart begin to pulse faster as his head cleared, noting the blank feeling on the right side of his face. His arm was fried and covered with slices from shrapnel, almost as if he had dunked it into a deep fryer made of razorblades. Pain was the only thing he felt, searing his skin and aching his muscles as he tried to prop himself up on his left arm.

The appendage failed miserably, causing the boy to fall onto his side. He no longer looked at the lost arm, but rather the face familiar to him, no longer covered by a menacing mask.

Sounds began to filter into his mind, slowly losing their distortion before he could make out proper words.

"…id you really have to use the cannon? They were just a couple of kids." Came a sympathetic voice from one of the Talon soldiers. It wasn't very far away, but James could tell it was coming closer.

A series of beeps responded, likely from the mech as it clanked forward and ignored the operative.

The teenager could only see Soldier 76, unconscious before him with a deadly threat on approach. There was nothing he could do. Nothing but lay there, feeling sorry for his losses before some guy with bad intentions put him out of his misery and took whatever they were looking for.

No.

They killed Max. They killed mom.

James felt a spark of anger burn into his gut, driving his body to fall back. He looked at the ceiling only for a second before turning his gaze right, spotting the gleaming suit of armor standing before him.

Dad was a strong man. He wouldn't have asked him to take the easy way out. He would have told him to fight. Do what's right. Serve justice and be hero, if not for him and the people then for his brother.

The teenager felt more anger grip his body as he turned once again and slowly began crawling towards the purple suit, gritting his teeth to bear the pain of living as he made his way.

"They killed her… They killed him..." James seethed as he crawled, dragging his wounded frame across the floor. A smudge of blood trailed from where he landed, up to the armor as he sat upright in front of the towering display.

He had never known the purpose of the project, but when the suit slowly opened like a blooming flower at his touch, ready to accept him, James knew he would find out.

"Son." It softly murmured, almost as if it was his father's voice coming from out of thin air. The teenager dismissed the words as a part of his shock induced delusions and carried on, painfully grappling with the armor as he placed himself within.

It only took one nod of his chin before the suit closed around him, filling the boy with gentle warmth and soothing his pain. James knew he would find out its purpose very soon.

"Where'd the other kid go? I only see 76 and the tyke the mech blew apart." Asked one of the mercenaries, keeping his gun leveled at the door as he and his squad mates approached.

"Dunno, but he aint getting back up. Not after fucking our op, I'll make sure of that." Replied another, likely the leader of the team. The mech behind them gave an uncaring beep as it followed, monitoring the space for any more unmarked heat signatures.

A small blue laser pierced the space of the lab, landing gently on top of the bipedal machine's central plate. The beam itself had no effect, but none of the talon soldiers could warrant a reaction before a magnetically-accelerated tungsten slug traveling at Mach 10 tore through the dense armor of the mech and turned it into a standing hunk of shredded scrap metal.

"The FUCK!" screamed one of the mercenaries, scrambling off of the floor as he had been blown off of his feet by the blast.

All of the glowing red eyes in the room turned towards the origin of the beam, finding a single figure emerging from the doorway. It held a heavy rifle, the barrel split into opposite rails of electricity lined metal and a thick cable leading from the stock into the back of the armor.

James lifted one arm and pointed it at the squad of stunned soldiers, letting them watch as a pair of barrels emerged from underneath plating, lining up with his forearm and aiming straight at the Talon agents.

None of them had the reflexes to dodge the hail of lead that the arm-mounted chain gun delivered next, quickly shredding the black-clad operatives into crimson mounds of mincemeat and lost limbs.

The teenager clipped the railgun to his thigh and stuck out the other arm, letting a similar weapon appear before he opened fire on two scrambling soldiers and painted the chrome walls with their blood.

The tirade went on briefly, James realizing he couldn't kill them any further as he lowered his arms and turned to the left. The teenager, driven by adrenaline and anger only lowered to a knee and flopped Soldier 76's unconscious body over his broad shoulder, making sure he wouldn't slip off before turning to the other subject that he really didn't want to face.

Max lay idle, with a calm smile pursed along his lips as he watched his big brother pick him up and cradle him. The boy was covered in copious amounts of blood, his once blue shirt stained with splotches of red. James knew he couldn't fix what the boy had lost, nor could he save him. A heart monitor popped up in his HUD, showing his brother's weakening pulse.

"M-Max…" James shuddered, feeling tears well down his bloodied cheeks as he watched the boy's pulse fall.

"Shhh…Haha… I'm proud of you brother. Dad's proud of you too." The child rasped, his voice hoarse.

"No! Max NO! NO NO NO!" James began to yell, physically feeling his brother pulse wean through the armor. The teenager didn't have the heart to shake his brother awake.

"Please Max! you're all I've got left bro! Don't leave me Max!" he cried, trying to cradle his brother further and taking his remaining hand within his own.

"Don… Don't worry. You're strong James. Really strong… I wan-"

The boy shuddered as he coughed a heap of blood onto his shirt and gasped for air, returning his hazel eyes to gaze upon the hard mask of armor his brother adorned.

"Be.

Be a hero.

Be a hero for me…"

With that, James felt his younger sibling give one last gentle breath of air and whither within his arms, slowly closing his eyes and peace and loosening his grip on James's finger.

The arm slumped and hung limply off to the side, swinging alongside the draft as the teenager stared at what he had just lost. The ECG on his HUD silently went flat before disappearing, leaving James with a clear image of peace on his brother's face.

"Max… no."

The hulking suit of armor rose from its knee and turned, making its way down the path. He would bury him, somewhere nice. A place he liked to visit often with Max. The boy would like it.

James stepped through the mulch of talon soldiers, feeling bones and flesh crack under his feet as he continued walking forward, pointing his gaze straight onwards.

Behind him, a small fire had begun to flare, catching on quickly as explosions began to wrack the labs and engulf the space. James didn't care. All he cared about was going, and if more Talon soldiers were going to get in his way then so be it. He would deal with them accordingly.

James had already extended his arm when he emerged into the office space, quickly adjusting his aim as he marched on. A red hue filled his overlay, highlighting heat sources within the space as hostile and threatening. The teenager reacted by sending a burst of his chain gun through the cubicles, watching as contacts began to fall.

Some of the black soldiers stood to fire at him while he marched, but James was not impeded. He let the gun go fully automatic, shredding the office apart along with its intruders.

He didn't care whether he got them all. He just wanted to get out.

One of the Talon mercenaries jumped at the suit of armor, brandishing a deadly knife aimed directly at the chest. James grabbed the man by his face, lifting him into the air at arm's reach and slowly closing his fist.

The soldier scrambled, trying to remove himself from the grip while finding the knife futile against the armor. It wasn't the pressure that killed him, rather the concrete wall that the teenager slammed his skull into later, sending a splash of brain matter and blood over the room.

James dropped the corpse and continued into the atrium, finding it engulfed in flame and advancing mercenaries, both of which he disliked.

The teen stretched his arm out and began to sweep the space with a cone of obliterating gunfire, perforating the scores of soldiers as if they were made of Styrofoam and blood. James continued to march through the fire, not feeling any of it touch him as he exited the building and found himself in the cool night.

More Talon dropships had arrived, sending troops rappelling down to meet the boy head on, but the intervention of a thundering Overwatch ship halted any further advance as it landed in the lot.

A beige colored robot hopped out of the exposed hatch, landing onto the asphalt with a clank before transforming into a turret and unleashing a beam of lead towards the firing mercenaries.

There were a lot. James wasn't sure why there were so many, but a warm feeling erupted in his chest followed by a change in his vision to a golden inlay of the world.

Pharah took a few extra huffs of air as she stepped off the platform of the ship and fired her thrusters, launching into the air. She knew it was a target-rich environment, as Soldier 76 had often said but things were a bit worse for wear when the only cover you had was a sky.

Fareeha was immediately caught off guard by the presence of a golden being slowly walking across the courtyard, similar to Zenyatta's transcendence during battle. It was viciously firing at Talon mercenaries and holding a familiar body over its shoulder, making it a non-target for her. The woman paid it no heed and turned to do her own job, letting loose a storm of rockets into the lot.

Genji had emerged when the ship landed, hopping out at the last second to eliminate nearby operatives with his smaller blade, keeping an eye out for Bastion's core.

At this point, Talon mechs had begun to seep out of the burning building, sending a storm of cannon fire into the air and lot as they approached. One shell managed to make a beeline for the teenager, only to ricochet off of his armor and zip off into the sky like a shooting star.

"Those walkers are bad news for the ship! Pharah get them off of us or we're not going to be able to leave this place!" Winston barked through the comms channel, garnering the woman's attention.

She weaved through the sky, barely dodging the suppression as she unloaded her own payload, only managing to eliminate a few of the many.

Even bastion was beginning to take heat, requiring Reinhardt to hop out and provide a shield to ward off the incoming shells. Genji tried to deflect what he could, but it proved fruitless as he scampered back onto the ship.

James had finally reached the vessel and stepped on, prompting the rest of the group to pile in. Bastion reset his turret and continued to suppress the remaining Talon mercenaries, pelting them with lead as Winston fired the craft's thrusters and started to take off. Pharah arrived at the last moment, skidding to a halt on her landing as she entered, barely dodging a shell beforehand as it pinged off the side of the ship.

"We're good! Let's go!" she yelled, prompting Winston to slam the boosters and leave the airspace. The ship rumbled as it barreled through the sky, farther and farther away from the burning lab.

Things had calmed quite a bit, but now it was time to acknowledge the purple, armor clad elephant in the room. James had felt his vision clear and the warmth in his chest wean when he had stepped on the ship, indicating that whatever barrier he had carried was now gone.

"Is that… Oh mein gott… Soldier 76!" came a gentle voice from the back, stealing James's attention. A slim woman, clad in white and gold rushed forward, folding her wings and dropping the long staff she carried. The teen reached up with his free hand and peeled the limp body from his shoulder. 76 had been knocked unconscious, suffering from a few more scars along his body but luckily had survived well unscathed compared to… him and his brother.

The teen did what he could to lay him on one of the hovering medical beds before Mercy intervened, taking the man from his grip and laying him down herself. She barely looked at his face, instead tapping a series of commands on the panel of the bed before letting a green shield of energy fabricate overtop.

"Good, good… he is well. Now what about your other…"

"Oh."

The good doctor turned to rest her teal lenses upon the child that James cradled within his arm, disheartened to find him in such condition. She reached a hand out to touch him, only for it to be gently blocked by the armored backside of the teens other hand. She looked up to the emotionless mask that he wore, finding him staring back at her before he turned his gaze down at his brother and slowly walked to an adjacent medical bed.

The brother took a knee and gently laid his sibling onto the bed, loosening his cradle and letting the passed child rest his head within his palm. Whatever it took, he would find those that hurt him. Those that hurt his family would pay greatly for their actions, he would make very well sure of that. With or without help.

James stared at his brother's soft expression a moment longer before quietly ruffling his damp head of curly hair one last time. The young man looked down at the control panel of the bed and selected the snowflake icon, letting a blue shield of energy slowly form over the body. Frost accumulated under barrier until he couldn't see his brother anymore. At that point James dipped his head and gave a deep and long sigh, finding himself gravely tired and worn out.

Fareeha Amari had been watching the scene unfold itself as she leaned on the wall of the ship, watching as the towering suit of powered armor froze a child within one of the medical beds.

"I am sorry. Were you close to him?" Angela asked, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder plate. They all waited for a brief moment, watching as the armor turned its head to the woman.

"He was… my brother." James calmly stated, his voice modified by the suit's voice system to be much more robotic it texture.

The doctor let a small gasp escape her mouth, covering it with a palm as she watched the being rise to height.

James barely turned around before he met Pharah and Reinhardt's scrutinizing gaze. Bastion simply gave a series of beeps that meant nothing to the young man all the while Genji sat watching, interested by the man in the armor.

"What is your name? I must ask that of such a valiant hero." The hammer welding tank asked, raising his palms in the air as a gesture of good will.

The suit took another step forward.

"I am-"

James paused, unable to finish his sentence as a fit of coughing overcame him. The group of Overwatch members watched in horror as thick blood began to sputter and seep out of the mask, painting the deck of the ship with ugly splotches of crimson. Angela rushed forward, readying her staff and trying to support the suit with a hand on its chest.

Pain began to seep back into the teenager's mind as he felt the suit stand up to height and begin blooming, slowly unfolding its plates of purple alloy to let the injured boy inside fall onto his knees before crumpling in a heap on the ground. A pair of gasps came from both Angela and Fareeha as they watched, realizing that their new ally was not a man, but just a boy.

Once again, the doctor dropped her staff and rushed to James's side. She could easily tell that her tools would be of no use to such prolonged wounds. He would need immediate care.

"Winston! We have critical injured! Please, get us to Grand Mesa as fast as possible!" Angela ordered, trying to pick up the teen. He was bleeding profusely, covered in burns, cuts and internal hemorrhaging.

"It is a miracle he is still alive. Fareeha, please get me a medical table! Reinhardt, help me put him on!"

The towering Knight abandoned his hammer and gently picked the crumpled boy up, guided by Angela at every moment. He laid the teenager down on the floating bed before coming away with bloodied gauntlets, the same as Angela.

Genji approached, carrying a red medical chest. Angela barely thanked him for it before digging in and grabbing a multitude of tools she would need. Her day had become much more stressful than intended, and there would be many questions to answer.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack was restless. He had been tumbling through the deep void of his consciousness for what seemed like eternity, wondering if he would ever stop or land. Soldier 76, by his public moniker, never recalled being hit as hard as he was in the lab. Even during the Switzerland crisis, he had managed to dig himself out rather than lie dead like many.

It was always the variable you didn't count that got you, a quote that Jack had taken to heart during his younger years. Now? It seemed like counting variables had gotten a lot harder.

The aged soldier lurched from his slumber, grasping at his sheets and trying to take blocked gasps of air. Jack knew well what the problem was and reached up, hooking onto the plastic device wrapped around his face. He gave a hard tug and gagged as the respirator slid out of his trachea, immediately followed by a fit of coughing as he dropped the device onto the white tiled floors.

As much more than he expected, the strike commander barely looked around as he leant back. White floors, grey walls and soft glowing ceiling panels to accompany the sky blue wall to his left… wait, no that was a sliding glass door. Morrison tilted his head to find himself face to face with a sprawling Mesa, one of which he knew very well of; The Grand Mesa.

The man made to pull his covers off but paused, reeling back his hand as he felt a spike of mellow pain flare in his abdomen. He was on drugs; that much the soldier could tell.

Knowing that someone would come eventually to check on why the respirator was supposedly malfunctioning, the man didn't want to be seen without his mask. Jack made a second attempt, failing again. This time however he caught a glimpse of his health readout, finding a time and date for when he had been admitted.

"Two days." Interrupted a soft voice. Jack thought he had said the word himself but quickly realized his lips had barely opened to mumble them.

The soldier slowly turned, carefully moving so that he wouldn't cause any more pain than he was taking at the moment. Much to his surprise he found a woman sitting beside him, in front of the hall's window panel and beside an IV drip leading into his arm.

"Mercy-"

"Stop it. Don't do that Jack. Not now." Angela interrupted, a hurt look on her face. She wore a willowy summer dress with white flower petals patterned over the lilac draw. The doctor had hesitantly accepted the dress from Lena when she found herself without casual wear for the base, something the peppy pilot had abundant amounts of at nearly every Watchpoint on the globe.

Unfortunately, there was a size difference between the two that made the dress quite huggy against Angela's curvy frame. She had felt rather exposed wearing the thing before entering the room to watch over the soldier for the second day.

Jack wanted to avert his eyes when he heard her words, the both of them knew he was guilty. Instead he found his bright blue eyes focused on her face, watching how the shafts of light illuminated her like the angel she was. Finally he mustered the courage to say something, anything to express himself.

"I'm… Sorry, Angela."

"I know you're sorry, but why did you hide it all this time? Why Jack?" the lady asked, her tone so hurt that the grizzled soldier himself was beginning to feel pain in his chest. Morrison had felt a wide array of pain during his years, but he one he felt pumping behind his heart was new and uncomfortable.

"Angela, I didn't think…I didn't know if the world was ready for me. Ready for Strike commander Morrison back on the scene after Switzerland. I wasn't ready to take on more protests, not this old soldier." Jack lamented, taking in a heavy breath as he talked. The man rested a palm on his abdomen to ease the aching he felt, trying not to show it on his scarred face.

"That's not what I asked Jack." She quickly snapped, leaving out the harshness. She scooted closer with her chair, scraping it against the floor as she looked deeper into his eyes.

"Why did you keep it from me?"

Jack held the stare for what felt like minutes, taking the time to scrutinize her softened features and appreciate the beauty of his colleague. More pain started to dig in however as he started to suggest an answer. It was truly unbearable now, his heart starting to pulse.

"I…I-I didn't know-" He started, taking a painfully wracked breath. The man began to cough again, prompting Angela to reach out and rest her hand over top of the he had on his chest.

Jack felt calmer, feeling the warmth of her palm on his skin once more. He relaxed, letting the coughing die before looking back at her concerned image.

"I didn't know if you wanted me back Angela. It wasn't easy doing that, leaving the group in the dust. You can't even begin to fathom what was going through my head when I crawled out of Switzerland…" He argued, leaning up to move closer to her.

A stream of translucent tears had sprouted from the doctor's teal orbs, slowly dripping down her white cheeks and onto the sheets. Jack lifted his spare hand and cupped her jaw, relieved to once again feel her soft skin upon his calloused digits.

Angela grabbed onto the limb with both of hers, cradling his palm with her fingers as she dug her cheek into the rough leather of his worn hand. She had spent many of her days with the soldier, always wondering who he was. Now she knew well and she was overjoyed, happy to be back within the confines of his grip.

"It's been five years, Angela. I'm… Tired." Jack confessed, looking at her closed eyes as she cried. The man pulled her closer, out of her chair and ever so slowly let his lips graze against hers. She pushed further, connecting the both of them in a long overdue kiss. In that very moment, Morrison felt all of his pain flutter away like a flock of butterflies in the wind, scattered to places unknown.

The soldier pulled her further onto the bed, letting her soft thighs straddle his bare hips as he delved deeper into the kiss. She hadn't changed much during the five years, but the man could feel the maturity she had sprouted; both physical and psychological as he snaked a hand up her hip and caressed her supple skin.

Angela broke the kiss to let out a sharp gasp, feeling his mitt gently squeeze the softer end of her backside in a show of passion. Morrison had grey hair and aging scars, but that hadn't ever stopped him from taking leaps of faith.

She pressed both of her hands against his bare chest, grabbing handfuls of his packed muscle as he pulled her back into the kiss. Neither of them had done something so abrupt, nor public as they continued the show.


	4. Chapter 4

James erupted from his unconscious state, weakly grasping at his throat as he felt the beaten muscles in his abdomen contract to pull him up. The boy choked for a second, struggling to breath as his senses flooded back into him in a rush of activity.

He was beginning to see stars before realizing something was in his mouth, jammed down his throat. It only took a single, large breath of pure oxygen before he realized it was the ventilator.

The machine beside him beeped rapidly, mimicking his calming pulse as he took in more air. James hadn't ever been put on life support, but he knew from biology class what the piece of equipment in his mouth did. A further few seconds of breathing and the teen slowly extracted the long plastic tube from his throat, resisting the urge to gag and puke all over himself.

The piece clattered silently on the floor before being covered in a layer of lubricant coughed up by the boy, clearing his airways. James wiped his mouth with the fold of his bedsheet, dampening the clean white fabric with his spittle.

It only took a few glances around the room before he realized where he had been placed, finding a large Overwatch symbol plastered onto the metal walls. To his right he found a small window, standing at hip height that let in the soft glow of a clear blue afternoon sky. James traced the rolling field of grass up the hill and found a lone tree standing atop it; a particularly large cottonwood with glossy yellow leaves from what he could remember from botany class.

The young man found the image almost inspiring, willing him to slip his large frame out of bed and approach the window for a better look. However the boy found himself meeting with the tiled flooring instead, his knees weak and arms heavy.

It was only a dull pain that bothered him, but the insensitivity had taken his balance and strength. James could only muster a crawl towards the door, letting it automatically slide open to let in a refreshing gust of air. On the other side lay an enormous hangar, housing a dozen jets and a very large dropship.

James felt his memory buzz before recognizing the hulking vehicle, prompting him to snap his head towards the other side of the room when he sat himself against the frame of the door.

A hovering medical bed, tinged with the glow of a blue shield floated silently against the wall. The teenager felt his head spin in a moment of thought before having a flood of memories pile into his cranium.

A small selection of tears formed at the corner of his eyes as he made the realization of who the occupant of the bed was.

"Max…" he whispered solemnly, clutching at a new pain on his stomach. He looked down, shocked to find a small leak of blood making its way through the sutures in his…scarred skin. James felt his pulse hike again as he realized the state his naked body was in, scarred, fractured and covered in burns.

The boy swore to himself, surprised by the display. He began to hyperventilate, finding the situation too much to handle before a part of his mind kicked in and took over. He quickly calmed, taking more labored breaths before gathering the strength to slowly rise from his rear.

James groaned as he felt more of the aches throughout his body, but managed to trudge forward, step by step. A pair of clothes had been laid onto a small shelf near the door, harboring a simple blue T-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants.

The boy pulled them on, dissatisfied by the small red stain of blood forming on the shirt. He ignored it and painfully made his way to the hovering medical bed, resting a hand on the cold frame to support himself.

James didn't dare deactivate the cryo shield. Right then and there, he knew he wasn't ready for it. The boy made another groan and began trudging out the door of the room, guiding the bed with an arm to follow him out.

A small kiosk sat unnoticing beside the expansive door of the bay, uninhabited by save for a small rack of rifles and a closet of tools. James nudged the shelving open, barely rummaging around with a good arm before he extracted what he wanted.

He led the bed out of the hangar, his pudgy steps against the smooth concrete silenced by the presence of lush grass as the two made their way out. The plastic grip on the serrated blade he held was alien, but comforting. James was confused as to why a weapon would hold that effect, occasionally glancing at his reflection in the silver blade.

The boy reached the towering cottonwood, feeling dry leaves crunch underneath his toes as he pulled the bed alongside and searched for a clearing in the grass. Luck had placed one directly under the tree, between the comfort of its whittled roots.

With a last breath, he dropped to his knees and plunged the knife into the earth and got to work.

Angela gave a long, satisfied sigh as she rubbed her cheek into the firm skin of Jack's chest, feeling his hairs tickle her skin. The man nudged his nose into her hair taking a small breath of it as the two lay quiet on the bed, covered only by the white fabric of the sheets.

"Did I miss much?" Jack asked, laying his worn eyes upon the golden locks of the woman he held.

"Nothing too important. It's been quiet, but we all had things to keep us busy." The doctor answered, laying a hand on the soldier's abdomen and feeling the muscles underneath relax.

"That's good. Keep the mind of things while the world sorts itself out."

Jack gave a small grunt as he sat up and swung his legs off the bed, abandoning Angela on the mattress.

"I feel like taking a walk. Haven't seen this place for a while." The man suggested, standing up straight to stretch himself in the nude. Angela watched with curious eyes while inspecting his frame. His hair had turned white and his body was scarred, but the hunk of muscle in front of her looked as prosperous as ever.

"Aww, nein! Wouldn't you rather rest for a bit?" the woman pouted, propping herself up on the bed. Jack raised a brow at the irresistible scene, tracing her curvaceous outline and eyeing the bits of her breasts that peaked out from the covers.

"I've been resting for five years. Never heard a doctor say that exercise was a bad thing." He retorted, pulling on a pair of tight sweatpants and a white T-Shirt carrying the logo.

He turned, watching the woman expectantly as he waited for her to dress. She only shook her head in amusement before leaving the bed and pulling the summer garment over her head, letting the man watch as it encompassed her frame.

Jack gave her another raised brow before grabbing her soft hand and making his way out to the hall.

The two wandered for a bit, giving the soldier a moment to revisit his memories as he toured. Soon enough they had made their way to a large courtyard in the center of the base, finding a blue swimming pool surrounded by beach chairs and palm trees.

"Don't remember this being here." Jack commented, finding the sight slightly foreign within the militarized base.

"Wouldn't expect you to, Helix had the liberty of furnishing the base when we handed it over… Commander." Came a gruff voice, not entirely human.

A large gorilla sat on one of the deck chairs, wearing nothing but his charcoal fur and a snazzy pair of tropical board shorts. Winston had paused his typing on a mobile console to look up at the two, a genuine smile on his ape lips and a sheen of happiness in his big eyes.

"Ha-ha! Jack! Always had an itch that was you underneath the red gaze!" Winston laughed, holding a shaggy palm to his chest. Morrison could only offer a meek smile as he realized the façade he had built was now dust in the wind once the gorilla had seen him.

"Hah… yeah." The man chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Angela only returned a smile, keeping a tight grip on his hand so that he couldn't escape.

A series of beeps rang out through the courtyard, originating from a beige Omnic seated right on the edge of the diving board of the pool. Bastion was in turret form, leaving his minigun to act as a perch for Gamede. The yellow bird flittered about, skimming a nearby fountain for a drink before landing gently atop the gun and signing a few songs to calm the bot.

"Bastion says hi, Commander." Winston translated, beginning his typing once again.

"Speaking of greetings, have you met the kid that pulled you out of that mess? My diagnostics on his metabolism says he should be waking up fairly soon." Winston suggested, barely glancing at the two as they admired the shade of one of the trees. Jack perked up at the idea, nudging Angela to take him.

"Yeah. That sounds good. Maybe he can tell me what happened in there… I don't remember much." Jack confessed, only feeling a buzz in his temples as he tried to recall the previous events.

"We'll catch up at dinner, Herr Winston." Angela spouted before being lead off by the commander.

James felt his hands begin to shake as he hacked and coughed, a gush of blood climbing up his throat and out onto his lips. The teen let the urge pass and sent the knife into the ground once more, scraping the last bit of soil out of the oval grave he had dug.

He wiped what he could from his mouth with a bare arm, leaving crimson streaks along his skin. It had taken him a good while, but he was grateful for the soft earth of the hill. If there was only the scorched and cracked dirt down in the canyons, he would have had to dig another grave for himself.

Another bout of coughing left a growing stain of blood under his shirt, something he hadn't noticed initially. However, the young man wouldn't stop. Turning back now was the worst thing he could do to his brother, now that he was dead.

James stood on shaky legs and tapped the release command into the floating bed, watching as the blue shield overtop slowly disintegrated to reveal the pale skin of his kin. He hesitated to touch the frosted body, not due to the cold it emanated, but because he didn't want to disturb the peaceful expression his brother had taken on during his final slumber.

James forced his hands forward, to make contact.

Either the cryo wasn't as cold as it seemed or he was hallucinating from blood loss, the boy found his brother's skin warm. As if he was dipping his hand into a ray of sunshine peeking through the windows at home.

Mesmerized, he lifted the body with what strength he could muster, finding not the pale face of a dead child, but that of a beaming boy proud of his brother. James felt more warmth as a soft hand grazed his cheek, gently dragging its grubby fingers across his fresh scars and filling him with warmth.

"H-Hey Max. My little dude, my little man -m-my little bro." James stuttered, feeling the sting of his tears as they dripped from his eyes and into his open wounds. The teenager felt his frame heave as he walked, watching as his tears fell onto the glowing body of his brother.

"Max…Max, y-you'll be in good hands up there. Mom'll be there, Grandpa John'll be there, fuck-remember all the movies he took you to watch! You always cried and he'd have to take you home and get you ice cream too-Ha-ha! Hey, maybe Dad'll even be there, you know, with mom and stuff-then you can ask him lots of questions! And, and… and I'll miss you bro, dammit-I'll miss you." James gutted as he fell to his knees, slowly lowering the body into the pit.

As he leant back he could feel the warmth fading, giving way to the true cold that he had been holding. Max was disheveled, covered in thawing scrapes and frozen blood. He was missing an arm, adorning only scraps of flesh to where his shoulder should have been.

For the first time, James let out a wail. Not a quiet moan, but a deep cry from the bottom of his bruised heart. He could only mumble and heave as he started to heap shaky handfuls of dirt over the boy, showering him with rich brown earth.

"Hallo junger mann?" Angela asked, hoping to find a waking teen within the room. Instead an expression of horror formed as she witnessed the tossed sheets and blood splatters on the floor.

The German turned to warn Jack, only to bounce into his solid frame as he entered the room.

"He is gone! We must find him soon, his injuries are too severe to be walking!" she stressed, glancing at the mess of a room. "And he has taken his brother too…"

"Angela, what's the problem?" interrupted Jack before he could say anything.

Behind the two stood Fareeha, adorning royal blue fatigues instead of her armor and standing at attention.

"It's the boy, he is missing!" Angela repeated, grabbing onto the Egyptian woman's shoulder with a worried grip.

Amari frowned at the situation, but quickly went back to her determined self after processing a few thoughts.

"You two search the base, I'll check the perimeter and get Winston on the feeds if we haven't found him yet." She turned to jog out of the hangar looking out over the mesa before giving Jack one last glance.

"And it's good to see you again Morrison."

The soldier barely registered the greeting before Angela pulled him away, intent on finding her patient.

James let another cough wrack his body before falling against the rough bark of the tree, struggling to keep his head up. A hearty slink permeated his ears as he jabbed the knife deep into the dirt, as good as any headstone that he could find in the grassy knoll.

The teen let his head lol, feeling as if it had heavy stones taped to it. A plume of withered clouds floated past his vision, drifting effortlessly with the wind as the boy felt his eyes shut. James knew he'd lost too much, barely registering the half of his shirt stained with blood plastered to his skin.

Seconds passed before he nodded off into slumber, lulled by the breeze that scraped along the grassy hill.

Fareeha let a short breath out as she jogged, keeping her eyes peeled for the boy. She knew that a body in that state wouldn't have gone far, but from what she had seen; the kid was something special.

Her vision blurred for a second as she felt a breeze brush her face, coming from the knoll ahead. With it carried a familiar scent, one she knew too well:

Blood.

The soldier picked up her pace and treaded up the hill, tracing the patches stained grass before she finally came upon the boy.

"By Ra's might…" she muttered to herself, kneeling down beside the young man and lacing a hand around his throat. She could barely feel a pulse, but it was strong, much stronger than she expected.

James let out a quiet groan as he tried to regain consciousness, but rather fell further into the woman, catching her off guard. She lost her balance and landed on her bottom, letting the bloodied man slide into her grip.

"Ah, uh-Angela, he's by the hill right outside the bay." Fareeha whispered trying not to wake him. Another breeze passed, waking her from her stupor as she looked around.

It was calm and peaceful, something he was looking for and had found. For his brother. The soldier set her gaze upon the shaded dagger, looking at the mound of fresh dirt with sullen eyes.

"Amari! He is too young for you!" came a shocked voice, that from the German woman trotting up the hill. The commando felt her tan cheeks flush at the comment, rewarding the doctor with a flustered expression.

"Ish! I was just holding him. He's… very tired." She explained, listening to the teen's labored breaths as he struggled to sleep.

"I can imagine. Kid got it a lot worse than me." Jack stated, looking over the traces of blood that scattered the area. His eyes came to rest upon the fresh mound of dirt and the knife jutting out of it. The man took a knee and laid a palm on top of the dirt, feeling how cold it had become compared to the surrounding grass.

Angela approached the hovering medical bed, finding it empty save for a stale puddle of thawed blood. She looked back at the beaten boy and the grave with a saddened expression.

"Such a poor thing."


	5. Chapter 5

"It is a feat of engineering, truly!" Winston boasted, directing the team's attention to the standing suit of purple armor. Most of the Overwatch members had gathered in the bay after dinner to inspect their new arrival, curious over what had Winston's fur in a knot.

The suit stood tall and straight, much slimmer than Reinhardt's full set but more akin to what Pharah wore on her missions.

"Completely impervious to small arms fire and equipped with kinetic barriers, you all saw how he carved a path through that lot." The gorilla continued, knocking a knuckle against the suit. Genji sat unfazed nearby, almost as if he were bored while Angela and Jack gazed on in interest.

"From what I can tell, the inner components are similar to what Dr. Zeigler applies during our operations; Nano-biotic fields capable of putting injuries into stasis."

A small buzz permeated the air before a spark of blue warped from the suit, setting Winston's hair on end and giving him a nasty shock.

"YEOW!" the gorilla screeched as he leapt away from the armor, whooping in panic.

Jack barely moved as he observed another stream of electricity jump from the suit, linking up to the hull of the ship. Small craters began to form within the metal, similar to as if the ship had taken a blast from a cannon or the like.

"It's-"

"Absorbing the metal. Likely to fabricate more ammunition for those wrist guns." Fareeha interrupted, taking a risk to step closer and watch the stream of glittery filaments float towards open ports in the suit.

She received a face full of blue as a hexagonal overlay of shielding popped up, nudging her off her feet. Angela stifled a laugh as she watched the Egyptian land on her padded rump, garnering an "Oof!" from the woman.

"Allaeana!" Pharah grumbled as she stood herself up, giving her bottom a reaffirming pat before turning her eyes back on the armor.

"It's got good shielding, I'll give it that. Almost as solid as Reinhardt's bulwark." She confessed, having trouble pronouncing the last word with her accent.

"Well, we get that it's effective. But can we use it?" Morrison pondered, walking forward to place a palm against the glow of the barrier. It hummed at his presence, but stayed strong as he gazed at the soulless eyes of the mask.

"As far as my preliminary poking can infer; no. It's guarded by a neuro-scan security system, unique to the boy and no one else. It's almost similar to your tactical visor, but with ten more years of development behind it." Winston admitted, deciding whether or not he wanted to risk another electric shock for another look.

"Hmm…" Jack wondered to no one in particular.

"Did you dig up anything on the kid?"

The gorilla perked up at this question, finding it something he was capable of answering.

"Yes. Facial scans were difficult due to his injuries… but I got a ping on the state registrar."

Morrison felt his eyebrows raise in surprise. "Registrar? He's a citizen?"

"Right. James Tenbrook, son to Avery and Mariel Tenbrook, both deceased. The child with him was his younger brother; Max." Winston explained with a hint of sadness in his tone.

"He just turned 18 the other day."

"Hah! I told you he was too young for you Fareeha!" Angela blurted, pointing an amused finger at the Egyptian while the other hand grasped a bottle of beer for dear life. The brown skinned woman felt a blush flare across her cheeks as the German teased her, prompting her to stomp her feet and ball her fists in a flustered reaction.

"Alright, easy ladies! Last thing we need is this thing deploying riot-control systems in the hangar." Morrison ordered, hiding the small curve on his lip.

"Pshhh…Buzzkill." Angela mumbled before taking another swig of her bottle.

The soldier turned back to the gorilla, his arms crossed.

"Well, any idea what we should do with him? He's got one hell of a birthday when he wakes up."

Winston softened his expression and reached a shaggy palm to face, taking a moment to clean his glasses with a microfiber cloth he kept in his pocket.

"Well, for starters we should keep him here. Those injuries will take time to heal, even with Dr. Zeigler's expertise. After that… Well, we've watched the recordings. He's got some real skill Jack. We could use him."

Morrison stood on the spot, absorbing the suggestion.

"Maybe. But that'll be up to him. For now, we get ready for the next strike. Talon's not gonna stop, even after a mess like that."

Those that stood around him nodded in agreement and headed their separate ways, off to spend a night at rest.

Fareeha kept her footsteps silent as she walked through the hangar, making her way into one of the corridors. She paused, taking a small breath before walking through the door and setting her eyes on the sleeping boy. As much as Angela had teased, she was right. He was young, but the past events had shaped him. She saw not a teenager, but a young man, injured, hurt and devastated. He was at rest now, but she wasn't sure how much longer that would last.

The woman found her next action delirious as she pulled up a padded chair and sat in it, humming one of her mother's hymn's as she lulled herself to sleep. James slept none the wiser before the woman, but she knew he would find comfort in having a friend watch over him. 

_Max._

 _Max._

 _MAX!_

James found himself shunted out of his slumber in a cold sweat, breathing hard as he tried to scrape the name from his mind. He knew well that the event wouldn't leave him for a long time, but he was surprised to have awoken from such a nightmare.

A hollow shrieking of his brother's name. Not something he enjoyed listening to.

The young man lifted his head from the soft pillow, finding himself in the same room as before. White tiles, purple metal; a hospital room. He turned his gaze to the far wall, wondering if he'd find the hovering medical bed still sitting there, but much to his surprise it had been replaced with a woman.

The very same woman that he had fallen into prior.

He reasoned that the organization would have wanted a sentry posted to keep him in check-but from the looks of it, she was in a deeper sleep than him.

James slid himself out of the bed and pulled the gown over his head, dropping the thin fabric on the floor while he felt his muscles stretch. Some parts were still sore, but whatever he was being medicated with; it was working.

He skulked past the sleeping figure, squatting to raid the shelves for a dressing of clothes. He could only find a pair of sweats, the rest of the outfit had either been moved or was in the wash. The young man gave a sigh and slid the pair on, quickly tying the laces before walking through the sliding doorway and into the corridor.

The sun was just beginning to creep over the horizon when he stepped out of the open hangar, the wet dew on the grass tickling his feet and the chilled air freezing his breath in to wispy clouds. Maybe a run would ease his mind. Maybe it wouldn't.

He took off. 

"Pharah..."

"Amari, wake up."

Fareeha jolted from her snooze, quickly rubbing her eyes with her palms as Jack's gruff voice pierced the silence.

"W-what? What's up?" she mumbled, quickly trying to remove her doziness. Morrison stood at the doorway of the room, holding a large mug of black coffee. He took a small sip, swishing the scalding fluid through his mouth before swallowing.

"Have a good sleep? You look like it." He commented, keeping his eyes on her.

The man adorned a pair of navy blue fatigues and combat boots, his favorite thing to wear when out of combat. Pharah on the other hand still wore her camouflaged fatigues from the day before, her knees still stained green from the grass.

"Y-yeah, just uh… Just wanted to make sure James wouldn't run off in the night." She tiredly murmured.

Morrison pulled a smirk and snorted, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Well… you might've missed that last part." He pointed out.

The Egyptian woman's eyes snapped open, pulling her from her tired state as she stared at the empty bed in the room. "Oh no." she mouthed, cursing at herself for failing at her task.

"Ehh, don't worry Amari. I watched him leave the hangar from the penthouse, looked like he was going for a jog." The soldier explained, swishing his beverage around the mug.

"You could catch up to him, he only left 10 minutes ago."

Pharah quickly pulled herself out of the chair, patting her thighs and stretching her calves in preparation. She ditched her jacket in favor for a white tank top underneath, knowing well that the day would get hotter once the sun was a good distance in the sky.

"Do you know where he is?" she asked, looking at Morrison with a curious eye.

"Not a clue. Went over the hills, probably following a trail.

Amari brushed past and broke into a brisk pace, quickly running out of the hangar and onto the grassy knoll. She followed Morrison's words and made her way up the hill, beginning to huff as the sun shone down on her tan skin. Her eyes picked out light prints in the beaten trail, fresh and in the size of a humans. Jack was right, and she was on her way. 

James slid a forearm over his brow, wiping the sweat off of his face as he maintained pace. He hadn't really thought of what direction to run, but the trail he had picked up seemed adequate for the morning. Only a slight ache remained in his chest, flaring only when he inhaled too much or landed too heavily on a step.

As refreshing as the exercise was, he knew he was running for a reason. He wanted to keep his head clear, devoid of sorrow or guilt. James thought back to when he was a child, encountering his drunken mother in the kitchen rambling about her failure as a wife and the death of his father.

He'd seen what the emotion could do, and the boy knew for sure that if he was going to avenge his family, he would need to be at the top of his game. Mentally and physically.

He passed another bend, easing his pace as he encountered a small ravine filled with trees. Rushing water trickled through the woods, foaming as it continuously splashed upon weathered rocks and carried downstream.

It was a serene environment, each breath was scented with pine and fresh air, each step padded by soft dirt and each breeze bringing the smell of sweet flowers over the hill. If James hadn't been involved in such an incident, he agreed he would have come here in the future.

The young man kept jogging, surprised that he hadn't worn himself out already. His heart was beating… faster. Birds were chirping louder and the wind smelled stronger of grass and flowers.

James stopped, confused by his senses as he paused to realign himself. He checked his heart again, finding it incredibly slow to what it just had been, but at the turn of his head, he realized it wasn't his.

A jackrabbit sat huddled at the base of a tree, quickly nibbling on a mound of weeds as it watched the boy. James tilted his head again, hearing the beating fade before he refocused on the rabbit. There it was again, the heartbeat.

He reached a hand to his neck and felt for a pulse, finding something much quicker than he was hearing. A snapping of twigs snatched his attention, almost as if someone was behind him. However, he found nobody. The boy squinted his eyes and found himself zoomed in on the opposite hill of the ravine, where he had been ten minutes ago. With perfect clarity he spotted the Egyptian woman, jogging and sweating just like him.

James relaxed his vision, confused and surprised by his sudden onset of abilities. He would have to test them out later, for now, it was a race.

Fareeha let out a sigh as she continued to jog, making haste as she followed the trail of footsteps. She had full out sprinted the first bit of the trail, hoping to catch up to the boy in time before he might hurt himself.

"Eesh, no one recovers that fast. This boy must be stupid or superhuman to try something like this." She spoke to herself, shaking off a drip of sweat from her chin.

The woman almost stopped in her tracks as she spotted a white blip among the fervent shades of the ravine.

 _White skin. It's him._

Her vigor renewed, she hiked her pace again, hoping to catch up quickly and return to base. He was fast though, much quicker than she had expected.

"There is no way this boy can go at this speed, not after being blasted like that." She lamented, making her way through the underbrush.

Fareeha kept at it, quickly making her way out of the ravine and back on to the grassy knolls surrounding. The breeze was much better up here and the air was not filled with the sickening scent of pine, something she was unused to back in Giza.

Before she knew it, she had caught up to James. He had a thin gloss of sweat overtop his scarred frame, glistening under the beating sun as he jogged in tempo. She herself had accumulated a copious amount of sweat as well, finding her tank top soaked to the core and her fatigues damp.

"Hey! James! Where are you going!" she yelled, managing to catch his attention.

He continued to jog, but gave her a small smile as he jumped his pace across the field. She gave a long, drawn out sigh before pursuing him further. The woman was tired, smelly and needed her cup of morning coffee, but none of that was going to be fixed until she caught the young man.

James turned at a bend, following the trail only a bit longer before hopping onto the grass. The dirt had grown a bit hotter under the sun and the feeling of dewy weeds under his toes was refreshing beyond relief. He made a beeline towards the giant base, aiming at the hangar over a kilometer away.

The young man could hear the footsteps behind him grow closer, accompanied by labored breathing and constant grunts. He turned his head for a glance, surprised to see the woman only a dozen paces behind him.

"Up for a race sleepy head?" he asked, amused by her worn expression.

"Hey! No one asked you to go off in the middle of the morning for a six kilometer jog!" she yelled, growing angry at his humor.

"Yeesh, you were prettier when you were sleeping!" he replied, jumping over a large rock sitting in the middle of the field. Amari frowned, unsure how to accept that last statement as she dodged the boulder.

"C'mon soldier girl, thought you people were built a bit better than that." He continued, sidestepping a swipe from behind. Fareeha let out a growl as she missed her next swing, trying to catch the boy.

Nathan felt his feet touch the cold concrete for a second before he continued onto the training mats laid out beside the ship, intending to rest on them. His plans were interrupted when he turned around to look at the woman, instead receiving a tackle to the gut that brought him down.

"Gotcha! You a-AAAAH!" Fareeha stopped, feeling him wrap his sweaty arms around her abdomen. Her world turned as she was flipped head over heels, thudding her back against the mat as the boy scrambled out of her grasp.

"Not so sure about that. You lost the race, but maybe you'll do better in sparring?" he commented, stepping back and forming a stance.

Fareeha, rolled off her rear and propped herself up, blowing a wet strand of hair from her face with a determined look.

"I'll warn you, I did a good bit of wrestling in junior high." James played, raising his hands in a defensive stance and bending his knees. The woman assumed something similar, more akin to martial arts and krav-maga rather than what the young man was planning.

She leapt forward, spinning out a roundhouse kick that barely nicked his nose. James ducked, lashing out a hand to grab the foot by the ankle.

"Combat boots don't seem fair here." He stated, sweeping her standing leg with a kick before pulling on the shoe and throwing it across the bay.

"Hey!" she yipped, quickly wrangling her foot out of the lock and rolling back on her feet.

James smiled a toothy grin, watching as her other boot received the same fate.

"Fine, have it your way." She jested, resuming her stance.

Once more the woman attacked first, sliding her body forward to deliver a right hook to his chin. James barely saw through the shadowboxing, his reflexes snapping his head to the side enough so that only her knuckles could scrape against the scarring of his cheek.

The young man raised his knee and landed his foot in her side, under her extended arm. She grunted before quickly dropping her elbow to lock the kick in place, leaving him standing on one leg.

"Seems the tides have turned?" she jousted, watching him hop in place as she pulled his foot up into the crook of her armpit.

"I told ya, I did a good bit of wrestling back in the day." With that James bounced forward, locking an arm around her neck and burying her face in his bare chest. She released the grip on his foot, trying to deliver a jab into his ribs before he could try something else.

The boy felt the pressure release and a hard pain spike in his ribs, that of which he gritted his teeth to. He let another strike hit before snaking his leg around hers and performing a trip into the mats, where groundwork was much easier to do.

James spun on the way down, holding Fareeha in a one-armed headlock as he positioned himself on top of her backside. She grunted at the strain of his hold, half surprised by his strength.

"What are you doing you crazy-YEEEEEE!" she howled, feeling one of her ankles get pulled over his shoulder in a deadly lock. James laid his chest against her back as he furthered the hold, something that tripled the pain in her leg.

Pharah felt tears of agony form at the corners of her eyes as she struggled to reach around, quickly growing tired from the relentless hold.

"Tap if you wanna lose." James suggested, easing the lock slightly, but not by much.

Fareeha contemplated the idea for a second, but the fire inside of her grew brighter instead, fueling her rage.

The woman snapped, bucking her rear into his abdomen before reaching up and grabbing around his neck with a deadly grip. James held onto his breath as he was thrown off, quickly scrambling to get back on his feet in preparation of the coming onslaught.

He knew well that every competitor had their breaking point, a situation that would push one to go above and beyond. Many often crossed the line, but few were capable of using the drive to further themselves.

James felt a stone drop in his gut when he saw Amari's rage painted upon her face, pointed brows and an angered frown coming at him. The young man failed to block the roundhouse into his side, a kick strong enough to shake the sweat from his body. James lamented at the pain, ignoring the fresh reopening of one his scars before he blocked a hard jab at his nose with a forearm.

She was VERY mad, to the point where James could tell it wasn't just physical, but emotional. Fareeha let out a roar as she winded up a hard punch, feeling her knuckles rap against the bones of his forearm at impact.

James watched as his defense was swept away in a burst of jabs, leaving him without a block for the next punch. It was a square strike to his cheek that rattled his brain like a rock in a tin can. In reflex he brought his hands back up, but it was a futile gesture as the woman repeated her flurry.

A series of strikes landed on his face, snapping his head in various directions as stars began to form in his vision. James only managed to land a few blows himself, but he was sure that they only meant to enrage her rather than weaken her.

Fareeha only saw red and more red as she blindly continued her assault, shrugging off blows in her adrenaline fueled state. James took another blow to the chin and gut, making him realize the severity of his actions as he pondered his next course of action before it was too late.

His plan was interrupted by another combination of strikes to his head, the last punch sending him into a dizzied state. Similar to a drunken stupor, he shrugged off the last blow to his abdomen, catching the woman in a bear hug. She growled further as he locked her arms to her side. With the last ounce of his strength he tightened the grip and bent her over, slowly overpowering her posture until she mimicked the stance of a limbo performer.

James relaxed his grip as they fell, feeling himself fall in and out of consciousness in what seemed like an eternity. Fareeha, locked down by his grip felt herself calming as she hit the mat softly. The two lay silent for a moment, absorbing what they had just experienced as their pulses slowed.

The young man huffed, feeling his arms go limp in-between her body and the mat as he raised his head from her chest to look up at her.

"Tie." Was all he chuckled, licking at a trail of blood from his bruised nose.

With that James collapsed, burying his face in-between the sweaty mounds on her chest. His body wilted, pressing his abdomen against hers as he lay between her open legs.

Fareeha felt crimson, not blood, flare across her dark cheeks as she realized what a predicament she had been placed in.

"James? James!" she pleaded, trying to wriggle out of his grasp with no luck. Things were starting to become wildly uncomfortable, even dangerous if someone saw them.

"Oh by the eye, James! If Angela catches us, I'll never hear the end of it!" The Egyptian pleaded, trying to get him to move. She tried wrapping her legs in attempt to flip him, but it proved to be futile.

She sighed, resting her head against the mat and noticing the odd feel of his pulsating body so close to hers. He was hot, covered in a glimmering sheet of sweat that stunk with a sickly-sweet scent to her nose.

Fareeha felt her heart beat faster as she became more absorbed by her senses; feeling his hips against hers, the slow breaths of his filtering through her shirt and onto her skin, the way he hugged her so gingerly.

 _Stop!_

The soldier snapped out of her stupor, shaking the images away as she desperately tried to escape. A thought came to her mind, it was dirty, but if she was quick then nobody would see. Amari began to slowly rotate her hips, careful not to rub her parts against his too fast. At the right moment she bucked, sending his abdomen into the air for a fraction of a second. She felt the grip weaken as she arched her back, hoping to get out.

However the rebound caught her off guard as he slammed back into her crotch, sending a jolt of pain and pleasure through her system. She gasped at the sensation, fighting to keep her hips from reflexively bucking again while she tried to regain her composure.

Amari tried again, this time with more force in an attempt to get out quicker. She let out another gasp as he slammed back into her with equal measure, going as far as making her toes curl and scrape against the mat.

She was beginning to breathe deeply now, tired by the action. He wasn't the heaviest thing in the room, but a man made of pure muscle was still heavy.

She tried again, hoping to ignore the unwanted pleasure she was receiving as she quickly repeated the action.

Fareeha let out a long and well deserved moan as she neared completion, both for herself and for the escape. It would only take a few more bucks to get out, but she wasn't sure she had it in her.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Came a hearty laugh from the side, turning Amari into ice. Whatever pleasure she had was gone, now replaced with pure discomfort.

Angela was crying her eyes out in wholesome delight as she shakily held her phone in the air, a green light on the front indicating it was recording. Fareeha's face was a frown covered in pure embarrassment as she realized what had unfolded.

"Wha-WHAT! ANGELA! TURN THAT THING OFF! ANGELA I'm GOING TO KILL YOU!" The Egyptian yelled from her position, still incapable of moving. The doctor continued her spew of uncontrollable laughter, keeping her phone steady as Amari shouted more obscenities.

"ANGELA, HELP ME! STOP FILMING AND HELP ME!"

Dr. Zeigler finally calmed herself to chuckling, but still held her spot away from the two.

"Waitwaitwait…" she insisted, tapping a series of keys and swiping on her device.

Amari could only watch in pure panic as the woman formed a devilish grin on her face, the tapping of keys becoming louder the more she did it. At last, the woman put down the phone, only to hold it in front of her chin as the sound of ringing emanated from it.

"LENA! LENA, WATCH THE VIDEO I JUST SENT YOU!" Angela commanded, breaking back out into laughter again. At this Fareeha grew wild, screaming more threats and obscenities at the woman before another source of British laughter drowned out the phone.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Tracer screamed through the device, completely in disbelief and laughing her lungs out.

"ANGIE! IS SHE STILL THERE? PUT ON THE VIDEO!" the brit commanded. No sooner than Amari could react did she find a holographic face of Tracer staring at her with blown-up cheeks and a huge grin on her lips.

The two exploded into more laughter as the Egyptian screamed at them.

In a fit of desperation, Fareeha began to buck again, moving the boy off bit by bit. Lena and Angela could only giggle like children as they watched the affectionate display.

"SPIN YOUR HIPS MORE! BOYS LIKE THAT!" Lena shouted through the phone, infuriating Amari further as she continued to buck.

With one final push and slap… She came.

It was unexpected to see the woman moan a heavenly moan, arching her back and curling her toes while she bit her lip. Amari rode the waves of pleasure that coursed through her body, shuddering in heat as it wrangled her mind.

The other two women paused, surprised to see the display of their battle worn comrade pleasing herself on the training mat. Seconds passed before her moans turned to labored breaths, leaving her panting on the ground and free from the boy's grip.

Fareeha gently rolled him out from between her damp thighs and took a second to check that he was okay.

"Angie…Angie run…RUN! RUN BITCH RUN!" Lena screamed through the phone, prompting the German to dash out of the compound as if she were being chased by death itself.

Fareeha, satisfied with herself turned her gaze on the running woman and like a preying Cheetah, took off with a sprint to go and maim her.


	6. Chapter 6

James felt his eyes flutter open as his vision returned, first in dark shades of gray before fading to bright natural colors. He attempted to sit up from the mat, only to fall back down as a scorching pain splayed itself across his abdomen like a pot of hot water had been turned on him.  
"Ow." He muttered, resting back on the mat and noticing it hurt to move parts of his face. He prodded at his cheeks and chin, finding sore spots and cuts that had recently sealed. However a more pressing concern was the layer of blood splattered across his skin.

The young man lifted a hand and rubbed it across his side. He could feel the deep scars and where they had reopened, slowly gushing with coagulated blood. James winced at the pain, but managed to sit up. He felt his world turn for a moment before stabilizing himself with an arm, recalling the events that had led up to his unconsciousness.

"She hit me hard…" He chuckled, quickly realizing how he had received so many bruises. Under the layer of dry blood was purpled skin, unfit for combat.

"I'm surprised you did so well, being only a day out of bed." Came Amari's voice, tinged with her Persian accent. James gave her a toothy smile in response, finding that one of his eyes had shut from injury.

"Yeah. Me too." He returned, watching as the Egyptian woman entered the bay. She was slathered in a thick layer of sweat that made her thin tank top stick to her curved frame like wet paper towels, showing off the points of her body. James stared at the splotches of smeared blood on her shirt and pants, guessing that they were probably his.

"You okay? You've been out for an hour." She asked with an almost-regretful tone.

The young man tried his best to wipe his hands clean on his sweat pants, finding them equally bloodstained.

"Yeah. Should be alright, maybe a spot of breakfast and I'll be good." He mused, trying his best to stand. Fareeha quickly closed the gap, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him on his back.

"No. Stay down, I need to get these wounds patched up before you bleed out." She ordered, slinging a red medical bag off of her shoulder and onto the floor beside him.

"Not sure what the hell you were thinking when you decided to go for a run with these wounds."

James shrugged as best as he could on the floor, noticing how soft her hand was against his heart. "I felt different. Not as sore as I should have been, not coughing up blood. Looked like a good sign."

Amari rolled her eyes at the comment as she removed a large tub of gel from the bag and popped the lid. It smelled of disinfectant and mint, but she knew how useful it truly was.

"Alright, this might sting… A lot, but it'll patch up your open wounds before I wrap you with gauze." She explained, grabbing a scoop with her free hand while her other still laid on his chest.

James stared at the woman, noticing the small bruises she carried on her face and arms. Looks like he had more of an impact than he thought.

A small tingling formed across his skin as she lathered the goop on, followed by a cooling sensation across his stomach. Fareeha felt his heartbeat through her palm, noticing it rise in tempo as he began to flex different parts of his body and grit his teeth.

"That's a bit more than a sting." He growled, fighting the urge to buck in pain. The woman gave him a sympathetic look, but continued to slather the gel on. She made sure to push into the open wounds so that the substance would clean properly, much to the young man's displeasure.

He growled again, balling one fist while his other reached up… and grabbed the hand on his chest. Fareeha was shocked by the action, but calmed herself as she realized what he was going through.

"Easy… it should pass soon." She cooed, fighting the pull of his hand.

"No, no… you're pressing on a bruise."

She released her hand from his chest, frowning in the process.

"Oh. Sorry."

James let out a small chuckle, his eyes closed in pain as he kept a hold on her hand. Amari began to notice the gesture, feeling red run across her face as she realized what it looked like.

The green gel began to turn blue as it hardened into a rubber seal on his skin, closing the scars and making sure foreign contaminants couldn't make their way into his body. At last, his grip began to soften against her hand, indicating that the pain was fading. His nose twitched slightly as he relaxed, sniffing the air.

"Did you… pee your pants?" he asked out of the blue, opening his eyes to look up at her blushing visage.

"No. w-why?" she defended, closing her knees in a desperate attempt to keep her secret.

"Just wondering. Maybe my nose is a bit off after that combo." He shrugged, letting go of her hand and turning to get up. Pharah quickly scrambled a distance away from him, acting like she was picking up her boots from the floor. James paid it no interest as he limped slightly, passing a janitorial drone on its way to mop up the blood stains on the mat.

"Hey."

Amari froze on the spot, realizing her hind quarters were facing directly at him while she was picking up her second boot. " _Does he know?"_ She thought in panic, fearing the worst.

"I didn't get your name." James asked, trying his best to keep his eyes off of her ass.

The woman gave a small sigh of relief and picked up the boot before turning to face him.

"Pharah Amari…But my friends call me Fareeha." She stated with confidence.

"Well Fareeha, maybe you can show me around the base later? After something to eat?" he offered, thumbing the band of his pants.

The woman felt a surge of red sprout across her cheeks. It sounded like a date, almost.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Just let me get a fresh pair of clothes."

James gave her a teasing smile that brought about confusion.

"I knew I smelled pee."

With that he waltzed off to his medical room, ignoring her sputtering and denial as he closed the door.

"That boy…" she growled, throwing the medical bag at the clueless janitorial bot. she stormed off, but with a small, guilty smile on her face. It was always nice to make a new friend.

Hot water splashed across the young man's front as he ran his fingers through his short crop of brown hair. Off in the distance he could hear the laughter of his rugby mates, joking around in the shower rooms. He knew it was just memories, but he wondered if he could go back. If he wanted to go back.

James shook the recollections off. Running back to good times wasn't an option, not when he had the means to avenge his family and bring his enemy to justice.

 _If I knew who my enemies were._

He flipped the knob, shutting off the spray of water before stepping out of the shower and wrapping himself in a towel. The medical room was small, but it housed everything he needed for the moment-minus a pair of clothes.

Just then a consistent knocking came from the door of the room, metal on metal if he could tell the difference. James approached, drying his hair with the said towel as he opened the door.

A small janitorial bot was standing before him, holding a tray of clothes.

"Ah, thanks."

He draped the towel over his shoulder and picked up the clothes, listening as the bot gave him a compliant beep and rolled off on its treads. The young man slipped the freshly pressed attire on, finding it consisted of a new pair of grey sweats and a tight blue T-shirt with the printed Overwatch symbol.

James made his way out of the room, careful not to twist his stomach too much in fear of breaking the seal covering his scars. He closed the door behind him, letting it shut with a mechanical hiss before looking down the hall and finding the woman he was expecting.

Pharah had spent a good few minutes deciding what to wear in a girlish desire, fretting on her personal image and wondering if the boy would be repulsed by her military façade. She had quickly deemed her thoughts stupid and waved them off. No likeminded man of his age would find interest in a woman as worn as her.

But inside she felt a heartfelt desire to please, something she had missed out on as a headstrong teenager joining the Egyptian military. Her mother always insisted she settle down and find a partner to live out the rest of her life with rather than pursue the path of a soldier. Even now she couldn't imagine the woman seeing her in this state, fretting over a man as young as he was.

In the end she had settled for a huggy pair of yoga shorts and another tank top that would last her until the night.

She could feel his eyes gently trace the curve of her waist and thighs, but he was a mindful man; meeting her own with his when she looked up to see him.

"Is that plaster still holding?" She asked, catching hard bits of the seal poking through the fabric of his shirt. He waved a hand, walking towards her instead.

"Nah, its fine. Just need a bit of food and I'm sure I'll start feeling great." He joked, following her as she led the way down the hall.

The two emerged in a cafeteria-esque room, lined with benches and tables. Most of the space was empty, save for a few interesting characters.

"Fareeha! You spry girl, getting first dibs on our newest friend eh?" Came a booming voice, unmistakably belonging to the giant German sitting at one of the benches.

"Just showing him around, uncle." She replied, giving him a furrowed brow.

Reinhardt let out a wholesome laugh that bounced around the room as the two walked towards the order counter. The Egyptian woman made quick eye contact with the smaller European hiding beside him, clutching a bag of frozen peas to her bruised eye.

Angela gave her a smile however, waving her phone at the woman with a free hand. Amari kept walking, ignoring the gesture as James looked around the room.

"This is the chef. He'll whip up anything nutritious and healthy for your meals on command." She explained, presenting the automated robot behind the counter. It wore a single camera lens lined with sensors on its face and a white barbeque bib with a comical chef's hat to boot. James could have sworn he'd seen the thing on TV at one point in his life.

"Or, you know, comfort food if you want…" she suggested, wondering how he was holding up.

The young man gave a small laugh as he looked at his foot wraps, trying his hardest not to make the situation any more awkward.

"Aha, yeah… It's, uh, it's okay. I think I'll just go with what I usually have." He replied, turning to the robot.

"Half dozen eggs-scrambled, with a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of orange if you could." James asked. The bot resized its lenses a few times before giving a light beep of confirmation.

"Wow, that's a… that's a pretty big meal, you sure you can eat that much James?" Fareeha asked with a concerned look.

"Ah, don't sweat it. It's what I eat during my game-days, and I think every day is game-day now." He stated, leaning his rear on the counter. The woman gave a nod of understanding before ordering her own usual; a bowl of fragrant muesli topped with peach yogurt and a plate of thick hummus and baked pita bread.

The bot immediately got to work, raiding the large pantry behind it for supplies as the two waited.

"James…" Fareeha started, knowing she had to say something. He looked up from his feet with soft brown eyes, curious over what she could want.

"Are you sure you want to be here?"

The young man blinked at her a couple of seconds, trying to understand the meaning of her question. After a pause he spoke up.

"I, uh… I'm not sure. Honestly, I'm not." He sighed, rifling a hand through his hair.

"I had a life bef-"

"Wait. Stop." Fareeha interrupted, realizing what the question had done. "Sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that so quickly, at least not until you're ready."

James gave her a meek smile as he nodded, picking up his freshly served tray from the counter. The soldier picked hers up and the two found a quiet corner to sit in as they chatted about small things, often receiving glances from the Europeans across the room.

Morrison seethed through his teeth as he extended his arms, lifting a weight bar stacked with plates over his chest. The man had been repeating the exercise for the past half hour, switching between squatting and shoulder presses as his routine dictated.

In his prime Jack was sure he could lift the same weights hundreds if not thousands of times, but that had been decades ago. Now he had difficulty just making it to a hundred reps with the two-fifty plates stacked on.

Jack still considered himself superhuman, but there were times that he wished he was still young and maybe not as grey.

The man gave one last grunt as he finished his pump, racking the weight before sitting up and pulling his shirt off over his head. He rubbed the fabric through his tufts of grey and around his ears, mopping up drops of sweat as he felt his heart rate calm.

"Damn I'm getting old" he growled to himself, throwing the shirt into the towel bin on the other side of the room. The man stood, briefly looking at his frame through the mirror before turning to hop onto the treadmill.

It was the same routine every morning for him, even when Overwatch fell he kept the same thing going. No treadmill? Jog through the Sahara desert. No weights? Lifting trucks, rocks or rubble depending on where he was. Everything could be substituted, as long as he got what needed to be done; done.

"Athena." Morrison asked as he started up the treadmill, breaking into a fast jog at his first level.

"Yes commander?" a feminine voice broke out, synthesized by the speakers in the room. The AI had been one of the only things to go completely unscathed by the fall. Accompanied by Winston, she was a core member of the group, capable of gathering data and organizing logistics for any operation.

"Bring up my dossier on Ana and see if her communicator is online." Jack ordered, pressing a few buttons on the treadmill to jump the pace further.

"As you wish." The AI responded as a blue holographic overlay popped up before the man. A display of Ana's mask came up with a ringing telephone beneath it. Morrison took a breath of air as he continued his high paced jog, feeling the muscles in his legs pump harder and harder.

Finally the call went through, causing the elderly woman to show up on screen.

"Jack? Is that you?" she asked, drawing out her Persian accent.

"Ana, it's Morrison." He replied, garnering a feisty cackle from the woman.

"Jack! Didn't anyone ever tell you not to call people without your clothes on?" she teased, pointing at him through the video comm. "And you're not wearing the mask I see. I presume you've revealed your identity?"

The man shook his head as he ran. "Not by my choice, but something tells me most of the group had a pretty good guess before I was revealed."

Ana let out another grandmotherly cackle over the speaker.

"What were you thinking? Haha, anyone would recognize you with that hairline and those shoulders you headstrong fool. You should've gone like me, full on facemask." The woman boasted, holding up the triangular mask up to the camera.

Morrison shrugged in response. "Maybe."

"Well… Anyways, how did Angela take it?" Ana asked, a genuinely curious look on her face.

He paused for a second, surprised that she would ask that sort of thing.

"She, uh… she took it alright. I guess. Why?"

Again, the woman let out a cackle, something that was becoming just as common as her accent.

"Morrison, half of Overwatch knew you had her riding on your lap from the first day. I don't know any doctor that visits her commander's quarters in the middle of the night for a 'checkup' you sly dog. I bet the both of you hopped in bed the second you took that mask off."

Jack wasn't one for blushing, but he had to admit that he was embarrassed at a certain level.

"How'd you know?" was all he asked.

"Pfft, a headstrong idiot like you? By the eye Jack, my room was right next to yours. I could hear her screaming every Friday, Saturday and Wednesday. Why do you think I started wearing earplugs to sleep?" she teased, piqued more and more by his embarrassment.

"Oh." The man responded, unsure what to say over his ignorance.

"Bah, pay it no mind. I just feel sorry for the next victim that has to sleep next to your room now."

The two held a moment of silence as Jack continued jogging, gaining a small layer of sweat on his pale skin.

"And how is my baby?" Ana asked this time, with a more genuine tone.

"She got big, if that's what you want to hear. Spent a few days crying in her bunk when she read that letter you gave me in Giza." Morrison recounted, watching the woman's face sadden on the display.

"As expected. My daughter was always a mushy girl, even if she did join the army. I wonder what will happen when she sees me."

"Something good, something bad. You did drop out of her life like a stone, Amari." Jack pointed out. "Even I thought you were dead for a good while."

"Mmh. We'll see. For now, the ship I've smuggled myself onto will be docking at Havana to offload within the hour. Bloody long trip."

Jack felt his brow furrow as he regained focus on the topic. "Good. I've got a team finishing up at Dorado. They'll pick you up at the docks and get you back here before nightfall. I'm sending you their comms ID."

The man swiped a few panels on the holographic display before tapping a series of commands. A second later, Ana received a ping on her device laden with encrypted code.

"Thanks. I've got a bad feeling about the port though. Talon might be up to something, Jack." She warned, staring at the man with a squinted eye.

"That's why I'm telling you to lay low and wait for the ship. Strong as they are, they don't have a chance against our team. Morrison out."

With that the feed closed, leaving the man alone with only the sound of his breathing to accompany him. He tapped a few buttons on the treadmill, feeling it slow under his feet as he tired from the jog.

"Athena, keep an eye out for Talon sightings in the region. I doubt they're going to sit around after the last fiasco, let alone keep quiet about anything."

"As you wish." The AI responded, giving a small beep as the soldier swiped the holographic out of his way and stepped off the machine.

Fareeha had had a hard time keeping focused on the young man's conversation, constantly spotting Angela's devious smile out of the corner of her eye. The Swiss doctor had decided to begin writing things on her phone shortly after Reinhardt left, leaving only the three of them in the room.

She was undoubtedly texting Lena, constantly smiling at each reply and glancing at the two. The soldier was almost ready to leap out of her seat and beat the woman with a tray when she held the phone up to take a picture, adding to the black eye she was already nursing.

However, James had turned around at the last second and invited her over, surprising both women in the process.

"Hallo Herr James." She greeted, sitting down next to him and across from Amari. "How are your wounds?"

The young man nodded, pulling up a side of his shirt and showing her his seal.

"Mhmm. I did not expect to be adding bruising to your injuries, but our medical facilities seem to be rapidly healing you. I heard you went for a jog this morning, no?" the doctor prodded, pushing his arm out of the way so she could inspect his abdomen and face up close.

"Aha, yeah… I did. Thought I need fresh air." He reasoned, trying not to stare at her while she grappled his face during her inspection.

"Ja ja, fresh air is goot. However, you should make sure that your trachea is not lined with coagulated blood."

James was about to ask what she meant before the doctor slapped Fareeha's empty bowl of muesli and yogurt under his chin and sent a strong jab straight into his sternum. The young man wheezed in pain as he lost his breath, prompting Amari to stand up in shock.

"Angela! What are you doing!" she yelled, watching as the boy continued to wheeze. Just then he coughed, followed by an onslaught of jellied blood gushing from his mouth and into the bowl.

"There there… get it all out before you asphyxiate." She tutted, patting him on the back and keeping the bowl steady. James continued to upheave blood, but with each cough less came out. Finally he wiped his mouth with a napkin and tossed it in the bowl like a garnish of sour cream in tomato soup.

Angela laid the bowl on the table and sent it sliding to the edge of the bench, straight into the arms of a janitorial bot that beeped in surprise.

"Now, I can already hear that your airways are cleaner. Make sure to visit my office before bed for a few boosters and more medication. And, have a nice day with this _geile frau_ " with that the doctor got up and left the room with a smirk on her face, confusing the two of them.

Somewhere in the distance, Fareeha was sure she could hear Reinhardt laughing but waved it off as her imagination. She was more concerned about the young man in front of her, still coughing lightly into his napkin.

"Damn… I guess she really is a doctor, because she's right. I can totally breathe now." He quietly laughed, wiping his bloodstained teeth with another napkin.

As amusing as he sounded, James looked winded by the procedure.

"Are you okay James? Do you want to take a rest?" she asked, leaning over the table to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Ahh, no. Its fine, just getting the last bits out. Plus -we still have the rest of the base to tour." He replied with a smile on his lips. She returned the expression and the two left, leaving the janitorial bot to mop up the room.

James tried his hardest to keep his sight straight as he let the gun fire freely, spraying all over the range and hitting anything but the target. A second later and the clip of the assault rifle was empty, leaving only a smoking barrel and a highly amused Egyptian.

"You're supposed to aim." She teased, looking at the lack of holes in the holographic target. James gave a sigh as he put down the gun, wiping a line of sweat from his brow.

"Hey, you're saying that to a guy that has _never_ shot a gun with recoil."

Fareeha laughed at the remark, bemused by his naivety.

"Ahh, don't worry. It takes years to shoot straight, and speaking of years… you lied about your wrestling background didn't you." She enquired with a perched brow.

"No-ish. Not really, if Jiu Jitsu for seven years before that counts." He explained with a meek smile and a shrug.

"Haa… whatever. Not like I'm an Egyptian commando or anything."

The two shared a small chuckle at the statement before dropping the guns and heading off. James had been feeling better ever since the doctor's treatment, but he could feel that Fareeha was still bothered by something. She became tense every time she saw the woman, becoming either enraged or cautious by her presence.

They had made their way through another part of the building, passing the courtyard and small pool. Bastion still sat perched on the diving board in his tank form, singing an occasional whistle which a small yellow canary replied to.

"An omnic?" James asked, slightly put off-guard by the presence of a war machine. He took a step back, remembering how he had seen them all over the news.

"Oh, that is Bastion. Don't worry, it fights with us." She comforted, patting him on the shoulder.

Bastion beeped a series of whistles at the canary as it fluttered about, making headway to Fareeha before landing on her extended finger.

"And he has quite the passion for nature." She added, petting the bird on the head and stroking its feathers. "Not too wild Ganymede. We don't want to have to pull Bastion out of the pool again."

The droid sung a series of beeps, its tone almost similar to that of a person nervously laughing. The canary flew off to rejoin its master, nestling within the barrel of the cannon the droid touted.

"That little bird's going to have one hell of a day if he sneezes." James joked, garnering a laugh from the woman. The two continued on their way, minding the building around them.

"And here we have the ship. It's big, tough, and capable of crossing the continent in just under 3 hours."

"She's pretty big, I'll say that." James agreed, admiring the sleek lines the cruiser adorned with its massive engines and bay doors. He was surprised to find his suit of armor standing beside it.

"Hey… Is that my armor?" the young man asked, walking towards the standing suit and reaching a hand out to touch it.

"Wait! James don't touch-"

He placed a hand on the solid frame of the suit, feel how dense it was under his fingers.

"Hmm?" he questioned, looking at her with a raised brow.

"Oh." Was all she replied, watching as he inspected the material of the armor without hindrance. He continued, analyzing the bullet scrapes against the chest and shoulders while feeling over the melded grooves each plate carried.

"Man… shit, lots of scratches on here." He whispered, thumbing a dent at the pectoral and pulling out a squashed bullet. The young man flicked the scrap of lead aside and looked over the rest of the standing figure, admiring the aesthetics of its design.

"I'm surprised there were no holes, even from the 50's they were firing." Fareeha added, crossing her arms as she watched the boy glamour over his tool.

"50's? You mean 50 Cal? This thing was shrugging off those types of guns?" he asked with a curious look. She gave him a nod.

"Huh. You don't uh… don't really remember much I guess." she muttered, gazing at her feet.

"Yeah. I guess I don't, do I. Maybe… Maybe I don't really want to."

The young man dropped his hand from the armor and walked to his room, leaving Amari alone with the armor and her own confusion. It took a few moments to register what she had done, and she cursed herself for her stupidity. The woman began to trot to his shut door, but paused before reaching a finger out to the panel. Maybe some alone time would do him good.

She slowly retracted the arm and waited at the door, wondering if he would open it by himself. A minute passed, filled only with silence before she skulked off. The woman knew she would have to be more careful in the future.

Morrison rolled his head slightly as he began to phase out of his nap, breathing shallow gulps of air through his nose before he awoke. The man gave the room a glance before noticing the weight holding down his arm, breathing silently just like him.

Angela hugged his side with considerable warmth as she slept, nestling her shoulder in to his armpit. Her head was close enough to his that he could feel each breath roll over his cheek, followed by the cold feeling of her inhale.

Jack gave himself a small smile as he turned over, wrapping a calloused palm around her waist and tracing the curve of her hip.

"Mmh… Jack… quit it. That tickles." She whined. He continued the action, reaching low enough down her thigh to uplift her summer dress.

The doctor gasped as he slid his hand back up and cupped a handful of her soft rear, his fingers barely digging their way under her white panties. He had laid low for the past ten years, but now he wanted to make up for it.

The soldier continued his groping, leaning over as he curled his pinned arm and attacked the smooth skin of her neck. She let out another gasp in response, louder this time.

"Jack. I'm serious, you horny old man." She hissed, feeling him nip at her ear. He continued the onslaught, squeezing harder as he rolled over further.

"How about a little game of doctor?" he whispered, taking another nibble at her ear while he slid his thigh in between her legs. The Swiss woman let out a chuckle before verbally hissing at him, feeling the knee in-between her legs grind up against the fabric of her undergarments.

"Cheesy and horny. How could I have fallen for a man like you?" she asked, biting her lip as he began to snake down her body and plant kisses along the way. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked, feeling the man peel away the bottom of her dress and trace a circle around her belly-button with his tongue.

"Somewhere fun." Was all he replied before flattening her knees against the bed and nudging his nose into the small bump sticking out through her panties.

Jack knew the push and pull of many situations; when to turn a nudge into a shove or a pull into a hug, he always had a knack for reading people and making the right call. This factored greatly into Angela's next few minutes, turning her simple romantic escape into a toe-curling rollercoaster of emotion and extreme pleasure as her man did his mystery magic.

"Oh."

"OH."

She let out a scream as he took her over the edge and threw her down the cliff, firmly locking his mouth between her legs with his powerful yet gentle grip. The woman could only grab at his pale hair, grasping at handfuls with shaky hands in between the shudders of pleasure that wracked her body.

The commander let a small moment pass before extracting himself from the crevasse, licking his lips in delight before crawling up to the woman and preparing a second meal for her with his hand.

She was covered in sweat, glossed like a porcelain doll, but above all she was looking at him with a deep care in her eyes and an ecstatic smile on her face.

Morrison guided his gun further, feeling her embrace upon him for only a moment bef-

"Commander Morrison."

It was Athena's voice.

The two gave a heavy sigh as they looked at the speaker up against the wall. So close yet so far.

"This better be important." Was all that Jack growled before nudging his nose into the Swiss woman's cheek and pulling himself from her embrace.

"That is… Uncertain, but Ana made it clear that you should listen to her." Continued the AI, her voice permeating the room from multiple sources. The soldier pulled off his shirt and pulled out a combat uniform from the closet, taking only the boots and gloves before putting it back.

"Put her through."

The voice paused for a second.

"That is impossible. Strike team two is currently travelling at super-sonic velocity, making them incapable of direct patching. Instead, Ana has deployed an encrypted burst transmission packet across our comms."

Morrison listened to a microphone rustle against fabric before a new voice came through.

"Jack. This is Ana. We're currently en-route to the Grand Mesa at Mach 1. Things got hairy at the dock and I'm certain we were made on the way out. If Talon has something up its sleeve, we're going to find out real soon. Stay frosty Commander."

The soldier barely payed attention to the last remark as he slipped on his jacket, zipping up the front over his plate carrier. The iconic 76 beamed a bright red underneath the fluorescent lights of the room, highlighting the man's symbol as he picked up a freshly constructed mask from his desk and placed it over his face.

Angela had taken the time to suit up as well, equipping her Valkyrie uniform and priming her biotic staff against the man.

"Athena, put the base on yellow. I want everyone suited up and ready. Have the perimeter defenses primed as well as the long range sensors. I want to know the exact time of arrival when they drop out of supersonic." Jack ordered as he picked up his pulse rifle and thumbed the fusion primer, booting the weapon's firing chamber.

"As you wish." She replied before going silent. The soldier tapped the row of biotic grenades held to his thigh before giving Mercy a final nod and exiting the room, leaving the woman to follow as she ran a diagnostic on her tools.

A small but not overbearing alarm had taken over the base, waking James from his quiet thinking. He had tried his hardest not to delve into the past, but there were things that had to be remembered. The young man pulled himself up from the wall and opened his door, finding a set of yellow lights flashing along the halls and hangars.

Winston trundled past on all fours, his shaggy fur damp and a humongous towel wrapped around his waist as he made way to his room. The ape activated a series of computers and programs, causing an abundance of turrets and shielding systems to deploy as well.

The young man listened as the alarm deactivated, leaving only the yellow lights to continue their flashing.

Genji walked by, taking notice of James's curious expression. The cyborg ninja paused and turned to him. "Ah… You must be slightly confused, no?" he asked, his accent thick with Japanese.

James could only nod, slightly amazed by the being before him.

"Well, you should not worry. At least until they turn red. Then you should hide."

With that, the alarms began blaring again, this time louder and with a heavier pitch accompanied by the lights turning the bay crimson.

"Ah. Kuso… Stay in your room, no matter what. One of us will come for you when this is over-"

The man was interrupted by a deep rumbling and high-pitched whine from outside of the bay. The two looked up at the source, finding a smoking dropship losing altitude and barreling into the forest. The crunch of trees that followed sounded like a bundle of twigs being broken in half, followed by a slight jolt from the ground.

"Take this. I must go now." Genji said hastily, leaving the young man with an earpiece as he sprinted off. Winston followed suit, heaving his tesla cannon from its pedestal and leaping out of the bay. A bright blue shield erupted from the ground, sealing the entrance of the building from the outside and leaving the boy to listen to the cascade of muffled gunfire by the horizon.

James fitted the communicator into his ear, finding Morrison's harsh voice giving out commands.

"Pharah, chase those gunships down and buy the ship some cover! Bastion, deploy at this vantage!"

It seemed like chaos from his perspective, but Jack was calm all the way through. He was calculated and confident, even in a situation like this.

The young man stood at the door, watching streams of gunfire erupt from the forest wall and over the hill. A few even pinged off of the shield, but the projection stayed strong. More chatter erupted over the comm, requests for support, call outs, neutralizations.

"This is Winston, patching Ana through Reinhardt. He's made it to their location and is currently providing support."

A voice, familiar to Fareeha's popped through, interrupting the rest of the chatter.

"This is Amari! East Ridge is swarming with Talon! Our ship is picking up more transports on the horizon-Jack, if you've got a plan, I suggest you launch it now!"

Her speech was cut off by more gunfire, followed by the scream of missiles as their smoke trails appeared in the sky. The resulting explosion shook the young man as he peeked further out of the bay, caught off guard by a circling transport that landed in front of the shield.

A squad of black-clad soldiers quickly leapt out of the hovering ship, towing a tripod and a long, black cylindrical device with a gem on the end of it.

"76! Athena has contact at the base! They've taken out the aerial defenses!" Hounded Fareeha. James could only see a purple speck in the sky, knowing it was the woman. She looped and dived, trying to evade the stream of lead hot on her tail by a following gunship.

"Damnit. Who's posted on base? Anyone?" Jack asked, his tone slightly surprised."

A short gasp came over the comm, and for a second James imagined losing one of his new friends. "No! It's Just James! No one else is within range." Came the woman's voice, relieving him.

"Shit. The bay-door shields will keep them ou-"

"No they won't! They're cutting through it with some device!" the young man interrupted, watching as the Talon soldiers set up the tri-pod and activate a frightening laser, overpowering the shields.

"Is that him? James? James, you have to get out of there! Run to the center of the base!"

The young man made to turn, only to find the hallway sealed by a large blast door.

"The doors are down, I'm stuck in here!"

He managed to duck at the last second, before a burst of lead engraved itself into the wall behind him. James swore, ignoring Jack's voice through his earpiece as he dove out of the doorway and behind a stack of crates.

The squad swarmed in, spreading out across the bay as they kept an eye on his cover.

The young man leapt again, rolling behind another stack as he felt concrete chips embed themselves like shrapnel in his legs.

He seethed at the pain but remained alert, recounting the positions of the soldiers. One of the mercenaries began to unload at his crate, spraying the bay with his rifle as the boy dug in. Peeking now would mean a quick death.

"James! Are you there? Answer me Damnit!" Morrison commanded, dodging a hail of gunfire himself.

The young man could barely hear him through the assault, but he kept his mouth shut. It would do no good for Talon to center on his position. He was beginning to panic now, overtaken by the suppression as more chips of metal and concrete flew at him from all directions.

 _Think._

 _Think._

 _Think._

James calmed himself and glanced around, finding a small grey case that had been knocked over by the bullets. A multitude of grey canisters had spilled out onto the floor, piquing his interest.

He picked up one of the cans and looked at the label.

GRADE 1 HC SMOKE

Smoke grenades.

The young man collected as many as he could, careful not to expose his arm as he gathered the ordinance. The Talon soldiers had reduced their suppression to occasional bursts, but that meant his time was running out. Someone was going to flank him sooner or later.

James thumbed the triggers on each can, throwing them in random directions as he memorized the path to his armor. He wasn't ecstatic about getting back in the machine, but it seemed a better option than dying.

The mercenaries began to shout orders as the grenades went off, filling the bay with expanding plumes of black-grey smoke.

"He's screening us! Spread out and activate thermals!" one of them shouted.

James sprinted blindly into the clouds, trying to keep his footing steady as he maneuvered through the scattered boxes. A clatter of gunfire whizzed by his face at one point, forcing him to duck and stay within the cloud as the wake cleared soft holes in the screen.

"Alpha, Cover that entrance, Beta get to the ship, I don't want that thing taking off!" the sergeant barked as he kneeled behind a barrel and let another volley of bullets into the smoke.

All of the soldiers had quickly discovered the thermal insulating effect of the grenades, forced to blindly suppress rather than search for James. The sergeant chewed his lip, frustrated over his inability to eliminate one measly target as he scanned the smoke for any wafts. The engineer at the console would soon be able to vent the hangar, giving him a clear line of sight to peg the boy.

James counted his seconds and dove out from behind his crate, running head-first into his suit of armor. The soldiers could only guess what the pained hiss emerging from the smoke was, opting to focus on that region of the hangar with their rifles. They grew silent, listening only to the clank of metal and stretch of synthetic fibers, followed by a low hum.

The sergeant listened in, wondering what the sound could be. A thought passed, followed by a blast of grey matter as his skull was instantly pulverized by a tungsten bolt travelling at Mach 7, effortlessly passing through the shield behind and into the horizon.

James had fired his railgun, his vision guided by sonar as the smoke cleared from his position, leaving only a towering suit of armor standing before the remaining mercenaries.

One of them barely had time to open his mouth before the young man extended his wrist, sending a burst of alloy through the soldier's chest. The other opted to shoot rather than speak, but became horrified by the lack of effect his rifle had.

The young man holstered his railgun and casually stretched his fingers, inspiring fear within the indoctrinated mercenary as he approached. The man hadn't received an ending as gruesome as his comrades, let off only with an inverted neck and crushed windpipe.

James dropped the lifeless body and approached the hangar barrier, stepping through the small breach made by the disruptor. He flicked the machine over, breaking its fragile components. He had lost the earpiece somewhere in the hangar, likely laying amidst the blood and shell casings. He would retrieve it later, as he deemed the view in front of him slightly more pressing than usual.

The gunship that had dropped off the now-deceased mercenaries hovered idly in front of him, bearing its twin cannons on his frame. James ducked, missing the first shot to the head before taking a handful of the large rounds to the chest. He was thrown off his feet by the barrage, barely regaining his composure in time to leap out of the way of the second burst, behind a stack of crates.

He let a stressed groan out as he felt the soreness in his chest from the hit, trying not imagine what would have happened if he hadn't dodged the first round. The young man lay his arm overtop the crate, watching through a camera on his arm to aim his gauntlet. He let forth a small burst, correcting his aim as it went on.

None of the rounds seemed to carry enough mass to break through the bullet-proof glass on the craft, only causing small cracks or pinging off the armor harmlessly.

 _Improvise_ his mind suggested as he snuck his arm back before another barrage rocked his cover. He listened to the craft whine as its engines rotated, preparing it for a flanking run.

 _Engine_

James felt his eyes light up at the thought, quickly turning his head to watch the encroaching gunship bear down on him. He stood quickly, lifting the crate he had used for cover off the ground and heaving onto his shoulder. A millisecond of mental math and one very hard throw sent the crate flying into the air, straight towards the ship.

Both the boy and the pilot watched as the box impacted the side engine, flying straight into the jet intake. A bloodcurdling screech escaped the craft before the engine itself blew, obliterating the ship into a hunk of tangled metal and flames.

While he had succeeded in his own battle, the one behind him still raged on. The gunfire had begun to increase in volume as more of the mercenaries piled into the woods, supported by their dropships. A small icon loaded into the young man's vision as he trotted toward the hill before the tree line, indicating that his weapon had recharged.

 _Wouldn't mind picking one of these guys off if I've got the chance_. He mused, pulling the rail-cannon from his lower back and mounting it against his shoulder. Most of it was the suit, making miniscule pulses in his powered frame to correctly aim the weapon, as if it were trying to teach him. He looked up, spotting a wild craft zip through the air, the both of its cannons firing wildly at a purple bird. Occasionally the bird would send a rocket flying back at the ship, but the Talon vehicle proved to be too nimble.

James thumbed the underside of his chin, a gesture that opened the front of his armored helmet. He watched the duo dance through the sky, trading shots at each other as if their lives depended on it; which it did. The young man felt the air silence as he took a knee on the grass, gazing upwards with his eyes. His subconscious charged the weapon in his hands, starting a series of blue crackles between the rails of the cannon. He nudged his chin down to look through the iron sight of the gun, tracing the gunship as it flew.

The trigger of the weapon felt like a mousetrap as he slid his finger over, careful not to pull it too soon lest he hit the wrong target. A small tingle surged through his skin, gliding over every follicle in his body before resounding at the tip of his head. His eyes squinted, magnifying his view as his ears focused, listening in on the delayed sounds of the gunship's suppression. Somewhere he could also hear Fareeha's grunts and whispers over the sound of her rumbling jets, her soft voice calculating shots, considering angles and cursing the enemy.

James steeled himself, watching the target slowly freeze in place, complacent with the world around him. The commando herself was frozen as well, narrowly dodging a missile as James counted the moments. At his will, he crushed the trigger with a calm finger. The gun charged, sending the slug out with a thunderous clap as the sound barrier was broken.

The round barely appeared in the boy's slowed vision, punching through the atmosphere like a bullet through water. He watched the projectile connect with the cockpit of the gunship, obliterating the front of the craft and vaporizing the upper half of the pilot into a mess of ragged bits.

A gasp lurched through his mouth as he snapped out of the adrenaline rush, his helmet sliding back over his exposed face as a bullet whizzed by. The young man lifted an arm out of reflex and sent a round back into the trees, killing whoever had tried to take him out.

He glanced at the sky again, finding the smoking craft spinning to its descent while Fareeha hovered, taking a break from the combat. He would have given her a wave, like he wanted, but he knew there was still much to be done. They would muse over it later.

The young man stepped off, making his way towards the gunfire. The once peaceful woodlands were devoid of wildlife as he jogged through, keeping an eye out for trouble. Shell casing littered the forest floor alongside pinecones and needles, making a small golden trail over the hill as he slowed. The gunfire was beginning to get louder now, almost deafening as he snuck up the hill.

A pair of mercenaries were manning a machinegun emplacement, sending a hot trail of lead down the hill towards what looked like a cracking blue screen. Behind it James could spot others, taking cover behind the hulking suit of iron.

"Reinhardt!" he whispered, stepping over the knoll. The Talon agents barely registered his presence before he struck, planting a clenched fist into the soft skull of the machine gunner. The man froze in shock, jerking the weapon's line of fire before his spotter looked up, shocked to find the purple suit of armor looking down at him.

James pulled his bloody fist from the first agent and grabbed the man by his collar, lifting him above his head before slamming him into the floor head-first. He ignored the spastic twitches of the dead men and picked up the machine-gun, letting the belt of ammunition hang from the receiver.

As expected, the armor had helped him aim. Other groups firing from the hill were mulched by the young man and his gun, watching as he slowly walked forward as he mowed them down.

"Who in the hell is that?" Ana roared, trying to yell over the cascade of suppression on top of Reinhardt's shield. The giant man squinted through his visor, inspecting their ally.

"Ah! It' must be James, in his suit." He stated, watching the boy go.

The young man continued forward, peppering the hill with fire before the machinegun inevitably emptied itself of ammunition. Only a few of the fire teams remained on the hill, the rest either dead or having retreated long ago. James broke out into a sprint, dashing between the hulking trunks of lumber as he made his way to a dug in group of Talon agents still firing on the dropship.

One of them noticed his advance and swiveled his rifle around, opening fire on the boy.

"Is he crazy or stupid?" Ana yelled, leveling her sniper rifle and pegging the soldier through his helmet with a crack shot. She grit her teeth, watching him straight into the group like a bulldozer.

"Neither! He ees bulletproof! And very handsy with you daughter as well!" the Dragonslayer laughed, advancing up the hill and out of the trap they were dug into. Ana could only put on a puzzled frown at the last statement.

James ignored the exploding helmet in front of him and plowed through the rest of the group, knocking them over like a set of bowling pins. He kicked one of them, sending him flying across the creek and into a tree before lifting an arm to block the incoming attack of another who had quickly got on his feet.

He punched the man in the gut, feeling his innards rupture like bags of jelly before his fist. The young man then delivered an uppercut, shattering his skull and sending him flying into the air. James had no time to watch before he lifted an arm and sprayed the two remaining men with his gauntlet, perforating them with alloy rounds.

A small indicator in the corner of his vision displayed the remaining ammunition stored within his banks, a number quickly dwindling. He turned on the spot, jogging back towards the German and the hooded woman.

Ana looked up, watching as the armor thundered towards her and the Dragonslayer. She lifted her rifle, taking aim at his noggin. However, she held a tinge of doubt whether her rounds would go through or not.

"Reinhardt! Where is everyone else?" James asked, breaking the silence with his approach. The giant man glanced at him for a moment before returning to his scans of the hill. Ana glowered at his reaction as she kept a bead on the young man.

"Morrison and Strauss are rounding up the rest of second team with Weenston'." He stated, fudging up the pronunciation of the gorilla's name.

"Genji and the little tanky robot are making their way to us right now. I think Fareeha may be back at the base, reinstating the anti-air system." He finished, advancing forward up the hill with his shield held strong.

Ana had lowered her rifle, but she still kept her doubts about the man in the suit. Even if he was friendly.

The trio reached the top of the ravine, taking cover over the tip of the hill as they examined the expanse before them. However, as thorough as they were, none of them had noticed the black fog rolling across the ground, making its way behind the group.

James had barely felt the hairs on his neck sparkle before he spun around, slapping the barrel of a shotgun out of the way. The gun fired, barely skimming the top of Ana's hood before its payload bounced off of Reinhardt's shoulder, garnering his attention.

"REYES!" he yelled, dropping the shield to strike at the man with his hammer.

The Reaper cackled as he sidestepped the attack, pointing another one of his shotguns at the older woman again. James shouldered the woman, taking the hit directly to his helmet instead. A small gush of blood splattered over his visor as he landed on the ground, dazed by the impact.

Reinhardt roared as he swung a second strike, sending the dark man flying through the splintered trunk of a tree. He was about to return the gesture before a stream of hot lead opened up across the ravine, suppressing the being.

Shurikens flew through the air, embedding themselves into the trees and the ground as Genji advanced, deploying his sword to deflect the occasional blast Reyes sent his way as he retreated. Reinhardt finished the assault with a fiery wall from his hammer, forcing the shadowed man to flee.

He turned back to James, finding him lining a shot up with his gauntlet. Only a single round of the burst hit the man before he vanished into a black fog, embedding itself in his shoulder before falling out of the air as he disappeared.

"Damn." He groaned, dropping his arm to watch the deadly cloud float away.

Genji and Bastion had approached the group, keeping an eye out for anymore Talon Mercenaries that may pop up on the hill.

"We have cleared the area behind us, but I would feel much safer if we left this forest." The Ninja suggested, pointing at a clearing beyond the ravine. The rest of them nodded in agreement, save for the elder woman.

"Oh, woops." James coughed as he got up, realizing he still had her shielded underneath him. Ana had a purple face and bulging cheeks before she took a gasp of air, finally happy to breathe.

"Are you crazy? You buffoon! By the eye, people need air to live!" she retorted, tapping his helmet with a frustrated finger. He shrugged, offering a hand to help her up.

A larger hand intersected, reaching around to pick her from the forest floor before depositing the woman on his shoulder.

"Be nice Ana. He was just trying to help." The German reasoned, walking forward as she sat on top of one of his massive pauldrons.

"Bah. Let's just get back to base" mimed, flicking a hand in the air. The Dragonslayer nodded, trudging forward as Genji and the Omnic advanced as a vanguard. James shrugged, deciding he would trail behind to watch the back end. It was the least he could do, at least after displeasing Fareeha's old commander, or so he thought.


	7. Chapter 7

**Warning: Mega lemz at the end. I'm in college rn so this shit be slow af.**

James let a small sigh escape his lips as he reached the clearing of the hill, finding himself only a few hundred meters from the compound. As they approached, it became evident that they were not alone.

Sitting upon the various crates of the tarmac were a few individuals that he hadn't seen before.  
Reinhardt lifted a massive hand, waving at the group as they approached. A series of waves returned, acknowledging they were friendly. James stayed behind, walking at a calm pace. As far as he could tell, he was still a bit of a new face around the group.

Before them stood a robed cowboy, a bubbly Chinese woman and a Korean lady sitting atop her MEKA, chewing a wad of gum.

"Jesse, Mei, Hana." Reinhardt greeted as he approached, lifting the Egyptian woman from his shoulder and gently placing her on the ground.

"Thank you my dear." She teased, squeezing his armored thumb with a gloved hand. Reinhardt chuckled, making his suit bounce as he stood up.

"Anything for royalty." He growled in a playful tone.

With that the two held a giggling contest, which the rest of the group didn't know how to respond to.

James shook his head, approaching the crates before taking a seat next to the Asian woman wearing a parka and snow boots. She was playing with a ball of snow, tossing it in the air and tinkering with its size as she rolled it around.

He found the act interesting, eyeing it for a second before the throbbing on his face began to grow in intensity. He hissed at the sensation, realizing that his adrenaline high was beginning to deplete. With a small bit of effort he thumbed the underside of his chin, releasing the seals on the armored helmet.

A small gush of blood rolled down his cheek as he pulled the covering off, feeling as it dripped off of his jaw and onto his plates.

"Ah, you have a bit of a cut." Mei touted, pointing at his cheek. McCree eyed the young man, but said nothing, instead keeping his arms crossed and his mouth chewing a strand of wheat.

"Mind if I steal a bit of this…?" James scooped out a handful of snow and placed it on his cheek, watching the Asian lady for her response.

"Mei. My name is Mei." She introduced, offering him the rest of the snow. A small yellow bird plopped itself in her hands, shocking the Chinese lady.

Ganymede nestled in the powder, flapping his wings in delight as Bastion approached in tank form, beeping a line of profanities at the bird for venturing off. Genji sat silently on the backside, cross-legged and contemplating life as the robot wagged his barrel at the bird. Mei could only giggle at the act as the canary flew off, taking the Omnics with it.

James held a smile, but winced slightly at the feeling of his cheek. His face and body still contained the bruises and shut eye Fareeha had given him, and a warm zone on his abdomen gave him a rough guess that his wounds had reopened.

He looked off towards the trees, hearing the rustle of branches and snapping of twigs with his fortified senses. He raised his gauntlet, priming his wrist cannons as he aimed at the source of the sound. This caught the rest of the group's attention, causing Jesse to lever his pistol and Ana to mount her rifle in the general direction.

Jack grumbled slightly as he trudged out from the underbrush, followed by the medic and a large gorilla. An energetic Australian woman rode atop the primate, laughing and yelling as he trundled forward on all fours.

"Morrison!" Ana called as she lowered her weapon, watching him approach. James followed suit, putting the mound of bloody ice back against his cheek.

"Ana, hell of an entrance you crazy Egyptian." He joked, raising his arms into the air.

The two shared a small embrace for old times' sake, parting only to look at each other with aged eyes.

"Damn, we got old." Morrison chuckled as he removed his mask, sliding it into one of his pockets.

"Its what old dogs do, right, Meinhardt?" she joked, putting a play on his name.

The German let a booming laugh out, making the air around him thunder in excitement.

"And where is Fareeha, hmm?" she asked, looking around the horizon.

"Surely she is still not fluttering with those gunships." The elder woman touted, shading her eyes as she gazed upon the blue sky.

A small whine filled the young man's ear as he looked up, finding the purple bird he had seen earlier beginning to descend on their location. Fareeha hovered lower and lower before cutting her jets and letting her armored boots clang against the tarmac.

"Jack, Athena has reinstated the perimeter defenses. Scans show that most of the forces have already retreated." She reported, giving him a small salute.

The commander nodded and turned back to the aged Egyptian.

"Things should be clear now. The magnetic cannons on the perimeter should finish installing by tonight, giving us some peace and quiet." He stated before pulling up a data pad and bringing Athena up to talk to. Ana turned from him back to the woman, looking upon her with glistening eyes.

"Ahh… my little crybaby." Ana joked, taking her daughter within a hug.

"Mama…" she returned, pulling her in closer. The two shared the moment of ginger affection before parting, happy to finally be reunited.

"Where have you been all this time?" Fareeha asked, removing her helmet and placing it on her hip.

"Oh, you know, tying up loose ends, killing people, chasing after Talon." She mentioned casually.

"-I will tell you all about it later, for now let us get inside, it is beginning to get cold." She shivered, feeling a draft roll across the hill.

The two nodded and the group began to turn, walking back towards the hangar with a sunset encroaching across their backs.

Suddenly the Egyptian commando paused, horror overcoming her as she counted the assembly.

"Wait! Where is James?" She asked, turning most of their heads.

"The man in the armor?" Ana asked, nodding back towards the tarmac.

"Your boyfriend is still sitting at the crates." Angela pointed out as she hobbled, supported by Jack. Fareeha felt her cheeks flush at the statement before turning around and jogging back to the containers they had clustered at.

"Boyfriend? I've never heard of any boyfriend." Ana stated, putting her hands on her hips.

Both Lena and Angela began to giggle at the situation, knowing well what was coming.

"What is this? That reckless man is her boyfriend?!" she began to mutter, storming in circles.

"Come now, Ana, they are just teasing." Reinhardt cooed, sliding his gauntlet around her rear and nudging her forward. She continued to grumble as the group made their way through the hangar.

"James?" Fareeha asked, easing up on her trot. She repeated his name, but he sat unmoving. For a second she panicked, assuming him dead before she rounded and kneeled before him. Instead she found a cute sight, the young man dozing idly, his head in his palm with only a small layer of red snow left to cool his cheek.

"James. James…" She nudged, trying to shake his shoulder.

His eyes fluttered open in a blurred mood as he woke, pulling himself out of slumber.

"Hmm…hm." He coughed. "Must have nodded off." He muttered, pulling the snow from his cheek and letting it slide off of his hand.

"Oh. Your face! And your eye!" Fareeha exclaimed, reaching a hand up to stroke his cheek. He chuckled, tilting his head upright as he squinted his vision.

"You gave me the eye, you dolt." He joked, standing up from the crate. She put on an embarrassed smile as she slid under his arm, supporting his wobbly jaunt towards the base. A small gasp escaped her throat as he rested his palm against her backside, holding onto the curve of her hip. She didn't dare to make her feelings known as they trudged forward, counting each time his hand squeezed with every second step.

It was a slow walk, but James had begun to sober up, his vision clearing and the pain on his cheek mellowing. The woman guided him to the parked drop-ship, leaning him against the side of the craft as she herself approached an armor station and stepped in to the discard her suit.

James subconsciously fired the release function of his carapace, letting the armor bloom open like a flower as he stepped out with wobbly feet. At the end of the day, he was still just an injured young man, trying to cope with his new lifestyle.

"Are you alright?" a soft voice asked, approaching him.

While her tank top and yoga pants had given her ample support, the body glove she wore was skin tight, contrasting every curve and bit of her features to the young man. However, James was too tired to gaze at the scene, something she was thankful for.

She sat on the crate beside him, plodding a medic bag on her soft thighs to dig through it for more salve, something to cover his cheek. He sat silently, sorting the day's events out in his mind as the woman worked, spreading a cool gel over his skin before covering it with a cotton bandage and medical tape. A round of gauze went across his forehead as well to cover up the few cuts he had received during battle, giving him a small headband to tote.

Fareeha smiled at her work, overjoyed that her medical skills had paid off as a soldier. She jumped slightly when she turned around, feeling James's soft hand envelop the point of her chin. For a moment she panicked, her cheeks flaring a deep red as he closed in with dreamy eyes. Her lips began to shape themselves as he leant in further, staring deep into her and for once the woman felt a fiery passion rumble in her chest, goading her into taking him right there and then.

It didn't come however, as James used his other hand to dab a small mark on the side of her temple with leftover gel from his cheek. Her eyes snapped open in shock as he silently massaged the salve in, making sure her cut was properly sealed.

"Little bit of a cut there." He mentioned before releasing her face and standing up to stretch himself.

Fareeha sat on the crate, an astonished impression on her face.

 _'What'_ was the only word that echoed her mind as she looked up at him, her mouth still waiting for the kiss.

He raised a brow down at her, trying to figure out what she was doing before he turned to his armor and closed the system down.

The Egyptian snapped out of her lethargic passion, tilting her head down as she became embarrassed over her mistake. Off in the corner she could hear a pair of British and Swedish women giggling, as well as the snap of a camera.

She was about to yell at them before a small grumble echoed the hangar, its origin from James. He pat his abdomen in a proud fashion and turned back to her, removing the stained shirt as he did so.

"Guess all the fighting really takes it out of a person. Up for a spot of dinner?" He asked, extending a hand.

Her vision snapped up from him, down to the hand and back again a few times before she understood the gesture.

"Yeah. Why not." She accepted with a cute smile before being helped up.

The two began to make their way through the base, sharing a small amount of chatter as they did.

"Alright, good work everyone, that was a tough situation but we made it out clean." Morrison spoke as he leant against the serving counter of the cafeteria. The entirety of the group were sitting amongst the room, some with trays of dinner while others empty plates.

"The new cannons will finish calibrating sometime next morning. I doubt Talon can afford another strike within the next month, so take some time to get yourselves settled and get a training regimen going. I'll announce the next briefing at a later date." He ended, walking off to join Angela and Ana at their bench for the evening meal. The rest of the team whispered among themselves as he did so, discussing prospects for the future or recalling recent events.

Morrison let a relieved sigh out as he sat in front of his dinner, letting the soothing aroma of sizzling meat fill his nostrils. Angela flanked his side while Ana was opposite, sipping on a hot bowl of lentil soup.  
"I'm getting too old for this." He grumbled as he picked up his knife and fork, ready to jump into the steak he had ordered.

"Hah, aren't we all." Ana related, blowing on a spoonful of the scalding soup. Angela was demolishing a salad instead, trying to keep her shape instead of relishing in comfort food.

"Mum." Came Fareeha's voice from behind, garnering the elder woman's attention. She turned, holding the spoon to her mouth while a hand cupped her chin to catch anything.

"Ah! My Fareeha. Finally done fraternizing with that boy of yours?" she mused, lifting a brow at her daughter. A small freckle of red popped up on the commando's cheeks as she faffed a hand at her.

"It's not like that. He just needs a friend. Its tough standing up when you have lost as much as he has." She lamented, watching from across the room as James leaned on the ordering counter, constructing the both of their evening meals.

"Mhmm, it'd be tough standing up if he wooed you last night, you sly girl." Ana pestered, causing Angela to eject a load of salad dressing through her nose and back into the bowl. Morrison could only mouth an "Ew" at the sight as he continued with the steak.

"MOM!" Fareeha seethed, the red bloom on her face growing in size. Some of the other patrons shared giggles at the display.

"Alright, alright sweetie, mommy is done annoying you. Just use protection okay? I want grandchildren, but from a man you're married to." She ended, turning back to eat her soup.

The commando stormed off in a fit of flustered rage, seething at the woman as she reserved a bench with her bottom.

"My sister would have dunked my mother's head into that bowl of soup if she talked to her like that." Jack commented, chewing on a wad of bloody meat.

"Bah. My Fareeha is much too spoiled. My parents arranged a marriage for me as a teenager. The only way I got out of it was by busting his balls with a roundhouse kick." Ana reminisced. Jack momentarily flexed his guts, testing to see if his equipment was still functional as he imagined the event with a frown.

"Well, you can hardly blame her. Without a father, her mother was the only thing she could take after." Angela pointed out, wiping a splotch of dressing from her lip.

"I know, I know. I just want her to be happy." The elder woman stated.

"Maybe you aren't far off." Jack mused, watching as James tiptoed his way from the counter back to the Egyptian woman, carrying a set of trays.

"How's your commander?" James asked, setting down a plate of _Kofta_ and rice for her and a bowl of Udon noodles for him.

"Jack? He's fine. Just old." The woman responded, giving a small thanks as she picked up a spoon for her rice.

"No, I meant the older lady. Some military figure right?" James insisted as he sat, searching Fareeha's face for some sign of a joke.

"My _Commander?_ James, that's my mother."

He looked at her for a second, trying to understand what she was saying before his head snapped to the back of the older lady. It went back and forth for a few seconds before he opened his mouth.

"Oh. OH. OHHHHHH." He understood, realizing their eye tattoos were a bit more intimate than a unit symbol.

Fareeha let a snort out as she laughed at his shock, grabbing her abdomen in an attempt to calm herself. James sat still, watching her have her moment of fun.

"Fareeha! You still sound like a pig when you laugh, eat your food!" Ana retorted across the room, causing a hefty amount of chuckling from the rest of its occupants. Even the young man shared in on the moment with a few laughs as the commando grew embarrassed at her mother's call out.

"Yeah. She sounds like a mum."

Fareeha shook her head, deciding to dig into her meal rather than listen to the chatter surrounding Ana.

"So. I think you owe me one after today." James began, taking a mouthful of his noodles.

"Hmm? What's that? Why?" Fareeha responded, raising a brow at the statement.

"Remember that gunship you kept dancing with? Pretty much just exploded 5 seconds after he got a bead on you?" he recalled, his tone proud and snarky.

The woman's eyes lit up as she remembered.

"That was you? Impossible. We were too high up."

"Yeah, one point five-eight kilometers up, but it was dead center on that cockpit."

"How? He was buzzing all over the place. Even my rockets had trouble locking."

James leaned back and stretched his arms over his head, showing off his unclothed muscles.

"Magnetic rifle. Pretty much carved a line out of the air." He boasted, taking a sip from his bowl.

"Hmm. Guess I do owe you one. That guy was riding my camel." Fareeha confessed.

" _I bet you wanna ride his camel"_ came a British voice as Lena passed, garnering a slap on the rump from the Egyptian as she cackled away.

James had been nose first in his noodles and had not heard anything.

"Whatsthat?"

"Nothing." Fareeha snapped, diving back into her meal.

The two discussed tidbits here and there about the day's battle as they ate, only pausing to listen to someone else's story in the room and share a laugh or a series of oohs and ahs. Soon enough, Reinhardt trundled by, carrying a tray of tankards across the room and serving them to all the occupants.

"Bwahahaha! Dinner is over, but the fun begins! Here, try some of Uncle Wilhelm's personal bru!" he thundered, laying a pair of the gigantic mugs onto the table before bouncing off to serve everyone else in the room.

James observed the foaming tankard with a curious eye, wondering what could have been used to concoct such a recipe. Somewhere off in the distance he could hear a Korean lady lamenting its flavor with violent words.

"Ah. Reinhardt likes to distribute his monthly brew among the group. I'm not usually one to drink it, since it tastes like rotgut and woo-" her speech was cut off by the boy slamming the stein into the table, wiping his mouth off with his arm as he let out a content breath of air.

Fareeha sat in shock as she watched the young man lick the edges of the mug, feeling a drop of sweat slide down the side of her head at the image. Somewhere in the distance she could hear the German man say ~ _ooh_ in surprise.

"Gonna finish that?" he asked, pointing at the tankard that sat idly next to her elbow.

She sputtered for a second, still in shock.

"Whey-whay-Wait! You drank all of that in one go! Do you know how strong this stuff is?" she exasperated, jabbing at the wooden mug with a finger.

James stared at her blankly, following the motion of her finger.

"It tasted alright. I'm just asking, if you're not going to drink yours-"

Fareeha hefted the tankard to her lips, trying not to gag at the strength of Reinhardt's concoction as she glubbed a mouthful. The room grew silent at the momentous act.

James watched as the woman's eyes popped out of her head, straining to remain intact as her cheeks expanded into balloons the size of oranges. He was about to ask if she was okay before a hose of the brew from her mouth blasted him off of his seat, sprawling him across the floor.

The Egyptian panted with her tongue out as she leapt for a cup of water, trying desperately to wash the grueling taste from her tongue. Behind her the whole room had erupted in a thunderous glee, Reinhardt's roar the loudest above all.

"BWAHAHAHA! Ana! You forgot to teach your daughter how to drink!" he boomed, chugging his own mug as the rest of them watched the scene.

"Bah, shut it you oaf. No one can stand your brews anyways." She countered, stealing a sip from his mug. A small grin formed on his face at the act, and a sense of happiness enveloped his mind.

Fareeha had calmed slightly, panting laboured breaths as she put the cup of ruined water down. The table was covered with the amber ale, coating every surface of the bench and the man who had been sitting opposite of her.

"Ah! James!" she shouted, running around the bench to reach his splayed corpse on the floor. Of course there was brew all over that as well, as of this point it would have been wiser to count the parts of the room that weren't covered in it.

As expected, the Egyptian slipped, flipping herself into the air as she ran for the boy. She let out a small scream as she flew, followed by a heavy "Oof!" as she landed her rump straight into his abdomen.

James gave a deathly groan as the air from his lungs was ejected by the new weight, letting his arms flail in reflex as he felt a part of his soul being squashed. The laughter in the background multiplied a hundredfold as Fareeha cleared her head to look down at him.

"James! Are you ok? Are you hurt?" she asked, a concerned and embarrassed expression on her face. He mouthed something out, but she couldn't hear it. The woman leant in closer, barely picking up the words "…hea…heavy..." underneath his breath.

She gave a small squeal in realization, sliding off of his chest and trying to stand up.

Reinhardt had been letting Ana take another sip from his mug when Fareeha flew, rewarding him with a splash of his drink as it was ejected from the elder woman's mouth and straight into his face. The Amari cackled in absolute madness as she watched her daughter panic, slapping the giant next to her on the thigh repeatedly as she laughed her heart out.

James had slowly picked himself up, covered in the sticky ale as he carefully made his way out of the massive puddle. Fareeha had been leading him by the hand out of the mess, but a jerk in her back led to the two falling over again. This time he had flipped straight onto his noggin, followed by the Egyptian elbowing him in the groin.

Again, the young man felt his life force flutter as his jubblies were quashed by the back of her arm, prompting another groan from his tired soul to escape. Behind them the laughter raged on, evermore hearty than before.

"Hope I'm not paying for this show." McCree muttered as he watched the insane display, taking the occasional sip of whiskey from his chilled glass. Mei laughed innocently at the display with a childish giggle, putting a small grin on his lips.

"Easy. Easy….Easyyyy…" James whispered as he finally made his way out of the mess. He had fallen once more, putting a crack in the tiles before escaping the scene with his head intact and his wounds still shut. Fareeha had found it harder to do so, her body glove offered no traction against the floor and James was forced to drag her out by an arm to save the woman.

The two quickly left the cafeteria, skulking down the halls as they went. Happy to finally be rid of the attention and anymore risk of slipping. James let out a sigh as he slowed his pace.

"Man… This stuff does stink." He commented, feeling the dried ale stick to his skin like a layer of honey. He tried rubbing it off, but to no avail it was soaked in. Fareeha did the same, finding her body glove soaked as well with the pungent ichor. The two paused, looking at each other for but a moment before bursting out in genuine laughter.

The charade lasted for a good minute as James let the moment pass through his system, comprehending the event like a funny story he had just witnessed. Amari did the same, feeling her lungs heave with each bout of laughter.

"Oh, oh my gosh… I haven't laughed like that for years James." She gasped, holding her abdomen in.

James picked himself up, still letting a giggle out every few seconds as he composed his thoughts. Through the skylights of the base he could see a night of stars and the single moon gazing down back at him. He had the perfect idea.

"Here, follow me!" he commanded, grabbing the girl by her wrist and leading her through the halls. They winded through the bulkheads, twisting and turning and even running up a flight of stairs before reaching the young man's intended destination.

Fareeha let a breath out as they slowed, approaching a balcony overseeing an extension of the base.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, looking at the empty space beside her.

"James?" she asked, turning around to find the young man charging straight at her.

"JAMES!" was the last word she screamed as he lifted her from the floor by her hips and leapt over the railing. He let out an energetic yell as they flew, followed by her hopeless wailing as the ground approached.

 _Is this it? Is this how I end? By being tackled off a balcony by a drunken stud straight into the concrete? How wi-_

A cold shock enveloped her body as she was plunged into the pool, sinking to the bottom alongside the young man.

 _Water?_

Her eyes snapped open and she stopped yelling, feeling the cold water rush into her mouth. James stood straight and began to paddle as she flailed about underneath, grabbing at his pants and digging her nails into his skin.

"OI!" James yelled as the pin-pricks made their way through his nerves, alerting him to the issue. The young man reached under the surface and pulled up the Egyptian woman, letting her sputter a gout of water into his face.

"Easy, it's just the pool." He commented, watching as she squirmed and flailed within his grasp. Fareeha did nothing but the latter, his words having the opposite effect as intended as she fluttered about.

"Woah c'mon I'm-"

"I CANT SWIM!" she yelled, latching onto his head in an attempt to stay afloat. James felt his face smothered by her bosom as he was dunked underneath the surface, splashing his arms in panic. Fareeha continued to squeal as they slowly but surely made their way to the shallow end of the pool.

He pushed upwards with his palms, fighting her breasts for a gasp of air when he could.

"FLOAT! JUST FLOAT!" he managed to squeeze in, breaking her grasp around his head. The woman still splashed around in a pitiful manner before a burly arm wrapped itself underneath her bosom, pulling her straight into the embrace of a well-defined chest.

James let out a long sigh as the two of them floated across the surface of the water. As much of a swimmer he was, it was actually Fareeha that provided the buoyancy.

"Floating. Ever heard of that?" He asked, pressing himself against her backside as the jets underneath the water pushed them around.

Fareeha had calmed a good bit, no longer in danger of drowning and surrounded by warm muscle. She gripped his arm tightly as they floated, scared to think of what would happen if he let go and drifted off.

"An Egyptian commando, flying through the air faster than the speed of sound, toting a missile system and a rocket launcher, doesn't know how to do the doggie paddle?" James asked, kicking slightly underneath the water to propel them across the pool. Fareeha let out a " _Humph_ " before responding.

"Kind of hard to find water in the desert, much less something you can swim in." she countered, smacking his arm.

He let out a small chuckle, one that she could feel through her back as she rested atop him.

"It's not that hard. See, just let out a few kicks like this-"

James let his legs splash lightly out of the water, pushing them slightly along the surface. Fareeha nervously followed suit, letting her thighs and calves ripple the water with effort.

"Yup, like that." He agreed, watching as her gloved body splashed through the water.

"And if I do this..." The young man disappeared, letting go of the woman as he sunk towards the bottom of the pool.

Fareeha felt her heart spike as she began to flail again, splashing in every which way as he legs propelled her through the water. She flipped over, trying to doggie paddle in a hopeless effort before taking a mouthful of water. A faint squealing filled the air as James resurfaced underneath her, pushing her out of the water and laying her chest against his.

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against his body as the two began to drift once again.

"Almost had it there. Just try not to act like a fish out of water, _in the water_." He teased, kicking lightly with his legs. Fareeha let out another " _hmph_ " to express her displeasure of being abandoned but nothing else. The two floated for a little longer, eyeing each other and feeling their heartbeats between skin before James looked straight up.

"Wow. Look at that moon." He whispered, gazing into the pale eye of the night. Fareeha knew what was up there, so she lay her head between the rift in his chest, listening to his heartbeat with a passion.

The two were wordless for a moment more, before James bumped into the stairwell of the pool and released his grip on the woman. She was about to panic again, but this time he guided her legs to the floor of the pool, averting the crisis.

"Hooh, I need a shower." James announced, feeling relaxed by the moment in the pool. He stepped out, shaking his pants lightly in an attempt to wring the water out of them. Fareeha fared better with her wicking suit, but agreed in opinion.

"Here, you can use mine. My room is right over here." She directed, walking past the pool and towards a numbered door down the hall. James followed suit, shivering slightly as the night air caught up to his skin. Fareeha felt the draft as well, urging him to hurry into the warmed room.

"Dib's!" he announced, running straight into her bathroom and pushing the door closed. She put a small smile on at his behavior, but an overbearing thought forced her eyes out of her head.

There was a perfectly fine man, naked, in her room, with her.

Her cheeks exploded into a flood of scarlet as steam vented from her suit. Just in case, she locked the door and shut the window blinds, guaranteeing total privacy.

She put her palms to the sides of her face as she flustered about, trying to think of what to do.

 _He has no clothes! He's butt naked! What should I do? How big is his dick?_

The last thought put a frown on her face.

Now wasn't the time to be lusting for a young man, especially not for a woman like her. He was just being nice and playful, something she appreciated greatly.

But…

 _No._

 _YES!_

 _NO!_

Her mind was in turmoil, would she just sit on the bed, naked and appealing? What if he did think they were going to do it? Should she ask for him to wait so she could shower…?

?

The door wasn't fully closed.

Fareeha felt her heart lurch as she tiptoed closer, listening to the sound of him hum and wash.

She swallowed whatever courage she had left and walked in, closing the door silently behind her. The shower was encased with glass panels, but he had left the door open, letting a hot steam envelope the room.

There was a sweet smell of his sweat and effort tinging the air, putting her hairs on end and giving her goosebumps as she stepped in. James continued silently humming as she glazed over his features, her eyes lingering at his muscled frame. By no means was he a normal man, with a body and muscle-tone that he had, Fareeha could have sworn that his shoulders were less broad the day she had met him. But now, she didn't care.

With a final breath, she reached forward, stroking his back with a gloved palm. It took the young man a moment to notice the effect, but he turned to her, slowly with a romantic smile upon his lips. Fareeha could not speak as he wrapped a hand around her thigh, pulling her in close to his nude frame. He gazed deep into her brown lenses as he snaked his other arm around her backside, feeling up her lower end with his strong hands.

A small pinch caused her to gasp, but her open mouth proved to be an excellent point of attack for his tongue. Whatever shock she had was melted into lust as he dove into her mouth, fighting her tongue with his own as the two kissed.

Amari grasped at his wide shoulders, trying to gain a hold on the chiseled surface but found no solace as he kissed her further, his hands eliciting shock and moans from the woman as they kneaded her bottom. Even through the suit, Fareeha felt her legs shake in weakness as he slid his hands up and down the back of her thighs, providing an electric sensation for the woman to buck over as he did his magic.

A small zip filled her ears as they spun around the shower, coating her in the warm water he bathed in. His hand had trailed itself up her back and pulled down the suit's zipper, releasing the pressure on her skin as she dropped her arms to lose the suit.

James reached for her collar with both of his hands, caressing the sides of her neck and jaw before grasping the free edges of the suit, slowly peeling them further and further to reveal more of the beautiful brown skin. Fareeha grabbed him by his hair, cradling his head in anticipation as he flayed the suit from her chest, slowly inching down each breast until he reached the darker skin of her magnificent areolas.

The woman gasped as he snaked a tongue overtop the point, lapping up the water before sliding his tongue between the lusty mound and the suit. She let out a satisfied moan as electricity jolted her spine, his affection the source of her pleasure.

James dropped the rest of the outfit, letting her peel it off herself as he buried his face between the large pair of breasts, playing with their ends with his teeth. Fareeha let a squeal escape her lips as he gently bit on one of the sensitive nipples, massaging it with his tongue while his other hand fondled her opposite breast.

He continued the suckling as he reached down to peel the rest of the garment off, letting her take ginger steps out of the glove before hoisting her up onto him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his lips plant kisses along her collarbone as she locked her legs behind him.

The water was still flowing hot as James fondled her soft end, raising and lowering her slightly as she moaned in soft pleasure. A gasp shot out of her throat as he let his hardened member divide the space between them, grinding against her own sex.

He continued the action, eliciting more moans out of the woman as he shut off the stream of water and stepped out of the glass box. Fareeha stared at him with lustful eyes as he walked, bouncing her against him occasionally for a small moan as their parts grinded together. Finally he laid her soaking body onto the bed, easing upon his grip as he slid down her glistening frame.

"James?" she whispered, curious of his intentions as he slid down further, trailing a line of kisses down her abdomen before he went lower. The young man hooked an arm underneath her thigh, reaching up to stroke her hips and draw lines on her stomach as his other hand reached down further to assist with his tongue.

Fareeha had a mad shade of crimson covering her cheeks as she felt his nails rake through the short layer of hair covering her mound, something she generally kept well shaven but had accidentally forgot about this time around.

"Wait, James-" She was cut off as he planted a longing kiss on her nub, eliciting a gasp from the woman as she grabbed onto his head with both hands. He used his free hand to splay her womanhood apart, giving him a loving hole to lap up as she bucked wildly underneath his tongue.

"Ah! Ah, James!" She moaned, trying her hardest not to bite through her lip as he made magic happen. He dropped the free hand and snaked it under her other thigh, locking his shoulders into her rear and his head between her thighs.

Fareeha sat up in response to the action, wondering what he could be doing before the young man opened his mouth and planted it over her lovebead, sloppily lapping it up with tender kisses. The woman could only moan in pleasure she bucked her hips, trying to pull his head from her crotch as he continued the act.

She relinquished her protests as he began to suck on her mound, lying back against the bed and grasping at the sheets for a handhold as a rising tide made its way through her body. The pressure he was sucking with became madly unbearable for the woman as she felt him gently gnaw with his teeth.

Whatever gasp she had prepared for him had instead transformed into a full on scream as she grabbed the sides of her head, her body spastic as her hips bucked and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. James felt a gush of hot fluid enter his mouth, which he gingerly lapped up with pride.

Fareeha had barely recovered from the previous act before she felt James slide up her body, his lips glistening with the sparkle of her fluids. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss as he pressed his body into hers.

The two shared a period of lust as their mouths battled for dominance, their hands stroking every which way as the air heated. James broke off the contest, rearing back for only a second before he dove into her neck, lathering it with tender kisses as he trailed a hand down her body. Fareeha felt his muscled limb squeeze her padded rump, massaging it lightly before cradling it gently.

He slid his free hand underneath her armpit, sneaking under the damp skin of her back before gently taking a handful of her hair. The two were locked tight, but the woman could feel his throbbing member slowly grind against her own. The friction was almost unbearable as he finally retreated from her neck, taking a moment to gaze passionately into her eyes as their noses touched for a brief second.

Amari could feel the mood shift as his actions slowed, the grinding in between her supple thighs laying off as he steeled his grip beneath her head and cradled her hips into his own. She could feel a small prodding at her entrance; gentle, but ever passionate as he continued to deeply gaze into her auburn orbs.

She bit her lip as the pulsing object slowly entered her slit, parting their soppy folds to bore deeper into her. It had been a stagnant period of time since she had felt a sensation close to this, but no sensation could match the one James was providing as he slowly but surely pushed in deeper, cradling her buttocks in an almost forceful faction to get himself in as far possible.

Fareeha felt her mind go blank as she stared back up at him, her eyes drooped with lust and a line of drool slowly trailing out of her cheek as his tip kissed up against the entrance of her womb. The young man barely held a smile as bliss took over on his face as well, and with that the two had lost themselves in one another.

As soon as he paused, he started once again, jolting the woman out of her bliss and throwing her back into the sea of pleasure. She heaved gently as he continued to pump into her, slamming her hips into the depth of the bed as he kept a hand locked around her buttock and she kept a leg around his waist.

James gave out heavy breaths with each push, pulling the woman closer into his embrace as she gasped in silence. Finally she let out a hum of approval as he slowed and began rotating his hips, grinding his member deep inside of the Egyptian. Fareeha could barely moan as she felt his pulsing vibrate through her lower region, a spark of pleasure leaping from her mound every rotation he did with his hips.

The young man put a smile on as he finally released his hold, flipping her over onto her stomach and letting her arms and head dangle off the side of the bed.

"James?" The woman asked in confusion as he slid a white pillow under her hips, causing her butt to jut out further. Fareeha managed to prop herself up on her elbows to turn around before watching him slowly peel apart her cheeks with his strong hands and dip a tongue in her sex.

An expression of surprised leapt onto her face as he dug inside of her with his mouth, slowly massaging her rear as he poked around. The woman could only bite her lip in pleasure as he did his work, letting out a moan when he slid a digit in to help with the job.

She could only grasp to the sheets and scrunch her expression as his rough fingering jostled the bed, shaking her back and forth as his digit pumped into her, carefully building up a volume of pleasure. Fareeha felt an ounce of fluid discharge from her sex as she rolled through an orgasm, her tongue hanging from her mouth and her fists balled around the sheets.

James wasted no time in hopping back on, seating himself on her padded end and sliding his piece back into her maw. He began to hump, wildly and without abandon as he leant forward, reaching under the woman to latch onto her breasts.

Fareeha groaned in pleasure as he continued, planting kisses on the back of her neck as his fingers dug into the soft of her nipples. She hissed at the pain, but quickly fell in love with it as he continued to explore the depths of her breasts.

A moment passed as James began to ramp up his movements. Fareeha could feel it coming to as she flexed her abdomen, feeling her mound tighten around his member in an attempt to trap it. The young man only took it as a challenge as he leant further into her, increasing the strength of each pump.

By now he had buried his fingers deeply into her breasts, wiggling them around in sensation as the space between his crotch and her buttocks clapped loudly with each pump. The Egyptian began to let out exhausted gasps as he neared, James himself quietly grunting in pleasure as he let loose a final flurry and came to a slow in his pumps. Between the pain and pleasure in her breasts, Fareeha relished in the pulsating warmth that slowly began to fill up her insides, covering every nook and cranny it could find with a unique stickiness.

Stray globs of it began to pop out and splatter the woman's padded rump as James let the last few pumps go, feeling himself shudder in pleasure as he released his seed.

Silence encapsulated the room for a brief moment as the young man extracted his satisfied member and laid himself down next to the Egyptian. Her face was covered in a glossy sheen of moisture, small drips forming near her cheeks only to be lapped up by the stray strands of hair from her beaded locks.

James reached a finger over and nudged the length of hair and gold out of the way, his digit barely scraping against the surface of her eye tattoo. Pharah glanced at him, huffing shallow breaths of satisfaction as she nodded her cheek into his hand. He stroked gently, feeling the heat vent from her skin as she cooled.

The young man slowly ascended from the bed and walked to the bathroom shelf, pulling a pair of hand towels from the top. He unrolled one and used it to fondle his own while tossing the other to Fareeha, becoming amused by the way it bounced off of her rear end.

She barely acknowledged the act, but she took the towel and began to wipe herself off, collecting what she could from her skin. The bed would stay sticky until the janitorial drones issued a new layer of sheets after steaming the mattress.

A surge of exhaustion hit the young man as he tossed his towel into the hamper. It wasn't just from the hour's endeavor, but the cumulative friction provided by the entire day. James lay back on the bed, resting his head on a spare pillow as he gazed at the glossed body lying before him.

She lay panting, soaked in sweat and her hips sore as she looked at him. He pat the small space next to him with a playful smile.

"Oh, no way. I can't even move my legs. If you want me there, you're going to have to move me." She deadpanned, throwing her towel at him. James swatted the encrusted fabric onto the floor with a mock disgust before sliding over and slipping an arm underneath her abdomen.

Fareeha let a small yelp out as she was maneuvered next to the young man, her head resting on his bicep and her legs curled around his.

Millions of things were racing through her head at the moment, something to say or something to think. However, all of that stopped short when she found herself at peace. Not alone, not during training, but by his side, dashed with a layer of sweat and exhaustion.

Maybe she was a little bit older than him, but if he had cared; she would have known long ago.

"You alright?" James asked, raising a brow as he looked down on her.

She could have laughed or said something, but instead a billow of air escaped her lips, sending a tingle of cold air over his skin.

He let out a soft chuckle before reaching over to the nightstand and shutting off the lights. The two of them stared at the darkened ceiling for what seemed like forever, until they realized they were asleep.


End file.
